Chapter 1.
The owl swooped down over sleeping London, a letter, signed and sealed in emerald greenish clutched in its talons. Even if it had had only the stars to see by it would still have been able to fly honest, but it wasn't necessary. Greater London sleeping was almost as bright as London awake. But light or no light this deliverance was a thug one. The place owls prided themselves on being able-bodied to find anyone but it didn't make it easily when the address was simply …
London, somewhere…


But Dumbledore had given her special instructions for this delivery, and she never wavered in her flight, swooping down past a row of shops, past bakers, bankers and lens maker and curving cleanly into the skittle alley behind them to climb down on a streetlamp. Her big brownish eyes took in the whole panorama, the brick walls, the expectant dumpster bins and the humble boy, wrapped in a coat too large for him by half, trotting down the bowling alley from the other direction.

The boy stopped next to one of the dumpsters and quietly lifted the lid, running his hands past tense papers and deep brown grounds. He began picking out broken methamphetamine, cracked lens of the eye and the the likes of, transferring them to a pocket of his coating. When he had a full moon pocket he did something peculiar, he scratched a cross bull's eye into one of the wall of the back street, then sat down opposition it and began putting first one, then another of the lens system to his heart. After an hr of this, the diminished boy 's face broke into a smile at a particular half-cracked lens, he grinned as he spun it into the air like a coin, and rolled it across the backbone of his fingers.


A moment later the boy was rummaging in his torn and tacky backpack and eventually drew out a minuscule parcel. When he unrolled it on the ground the owls oculus sparkled in the gleaming of four More lens, one a mirror-match of the one the boy held in his hand, this he took and replaced the others carefully in his bag. The next to add up from the bag of whoremonger was a frame ( selected from a few in the bag ) and a tube of glue. Two pinprick dabs of glue to each lense and the boy carefully laid his prize on the base to dry, then crawled behind the dumpster and rolled himself up in his coat.

The owl waited until the tyke was asleep, then calmly hopped off its rod and placed the letter beside the child, he would find it in the morning. By the yellow halogen lamp it read ...
Harry ceramist
capital of the United Kingdom, somewhere

*


Harry ceramicist flickered between waking and sleep for the longest fourth dimension. Slipping in and out of dreams he would not remember on waking, until he fell into a recondite slumber and curled himself tight into a little ball, a well of affectionateness with his hands tucked in his armpits and his head ducked down. Shifting and gliding from aspiration of the past, of leaving the Dursleys.

Harry potter always thought of as just leaving. He did not run away ! You can only run away from nursing home, and Privet effort had never been home. He had decided that. He knew he had another domicile, he dreamed of that too. Not with picture or anything palpable, just of a sense of warmth, and also pain, he didn't understand that. Other pipe dream pushed in on his night clock time reminiscence and he touched on early things, the pies in the nearby bakeshop, the piece of work to do tomorrow and tonight's piece of work, still drying, on the ground, until…

"Get up ! Get out !"

Not Harry's ill-bred awakening, but far from pleasant. Harry uncurled like a spring, just stopping to take hold of his work on the earth before pelting off down the back street, chased by the irate baker. Rounding a corner Harry ran on, past times surprised, mildly startled and downright traumatize walker, yesteryear lamps, dogs and pigeon pile, even past times and through the auto as Harry dashed across a interfering road. It no longer mattered that he'd lost any pursuers three blocks ago, it was just good to run.

Harry stopped in regent car park and ducked to fuddle from one of the outpouring and snatched a few coins from the fundament. Soon hopefully he would deliver money coming to him ( at to the lowest degree, as much as he ever had ) and he could occupy some small-scale measure of it to fill what was more often than not lately a gnawing hole in his heart ( at to the lowest degree it was summer, wintertime was tough ). Harry walked down Euston road for a patch, not caring or seeing where he was going until he reached the station itself. The sun was higher by that time and people were beginning to do and go from the building.

"Not commuters yet though."thought Harry"not for hours."

Harry set his hat down where no one could avoid him, or pretend not to see him, and slipped three coloured balls out of his pelage. Shifting them all to his left script, he flicked his new glasses on with his right. The chunk became edged in watch crystal clearness as the lenses slipped over his middle. Harry stood in the square and laughed for a while, laughed into the morning sky while the masses around him stared or frowned, then, in a blink of an eye, Harry swept all three into the air and spun them around his hand faster and faster. He laughed as he fountained the formal up above his head. mass began to consider notice as he added a fourth ballock, and a fifth. People walked yesteryear and turned to stare for a moment before flipping coins into his hat or even waited there watching him for a while before moving on.

Harry smiled, this metre not for the act itself, but for the coins. This was why he had had to make glasses and why his belly was emptier than normal. He hadn't been able to manage more than three orchis since Yuletide. Just to show himself he could, Harry added another ball and split the balls into two circles ("Oooh !"Said a small girlfriend passing by. The mother smiled at him, but didn't free fall anything ). The two circles became one again as they began to careen ("Out of practice"thought Harry ) and he pocketed two of the balls back away, he had to go on this up for a while.

The sun was high in the sky before Harry moved from his spot. He scooped his winnings to an interior pocket and went off to buy lunch. He bought sandwiches at some newsagent with no rattling gens and ate them slowly on a parking area bench and salute more water from a fountain. On the way back to his spot Harry passed another food workshop, the cakes in the window looked even better than the inaugural ones had. Harry walked past, penny-pinching was in his bones.
*


When Harry got back to the station he realised something was wrong. In the exact center of the square was the boastful man Harry had ever seen. From the toes of his large leather iron boot, past his heavy furred greatcoat ( Bet that's warm, opine Harry ) all the way to his face, so covered, variously, in beard, moustache and dirty calamitous hair's-breadth that only humble theatrical role of cutis were visible, the man was easily eight foot tall. The very appearance of the man was so coin that for a hanker moment Harry didn't see what the man was doing and then he became even more singular. The tall man seemed to be looking for something, he would refer a part of ( very old and yellow looking ) paper then look around, staring at people, then look worriedly back at the paper.

"Maybe he's lost"Thought Harry. But the marvellous man didn't seem to be about to strike on, neither did he seem to be the case to ask charge. Harry was torn for a present moment between apprehension at the imposing human body and a luck to photograph up a bit more than money from helping a lose tourer. But a moment later his indecisiveness became redundant as the magniloquent man turned to take care at Harry and his font broke into a Brobdingnagian smile. The tall man ran over to where Harry was standing ( breaking several paving Harlan Fiske Stone ) and stopped in front of the startled tike looking, in bend, happy and relieved.

Yes ?"Volunteered Harry,"Can I help you ?"he hazarded, then ( in a last ditch effort to regain normality )"are you lost ?"

"Nope,"Said the magniloquent man, spreading his rima oris in the widest smiling Harry had ever seen."I think I've found what I've been looking for."

"And that is ?"But Harry already dreaded and expected the answer.

"wellspring you o'course ! Didn't you get… Hey Wait !"By halfway through the sentence Harry was halfway across the lame, and accelerating.

Harry dodged across a side road and began haring down first one back street then another.

"One serious thing about being chased by a giant…"thought Harry"You know when he's behind you !"The sidewalk cracked and buckled as the tall man chased Harry, he didn't seem to run much but he only had to take up one running step to Harry's three and he didn't have to dodge through crowds either, hoi polloi fell over themselves to get out of the way. And all the time they were running the tall man kept yelling

"postponement ! You got to stimulate yer letter ! You got… Out a my way you ! … to study it ! cease !"

Harry pelted off a main road and down an alley, he was moving so fast he almost shot past the affair he had been searching for. Harry skidded to a halt and grasped both hands round the hurl iron waste pipe ( his short trick was less utile now to the highest degree pipes were plastic but it had still put him above and away from Sir Thomas More than one bit of trouble ), his pes went against the paries and he pulled himself hand over hired man upwards, two of his balls slipped out of his sac and fell back down but he ignored them, he could get more ( well, he could probably get more, and in a emergency anything stave would do ) and pulled himself onto the tiled roof above him. Harry lay there for a second, finding his balance ( and his breath ) before sliding back to the sharpness and looking over. Three story down ("It had looked so much larger from the bottomland"thinking Harry ) the tall man stood hunched over, catching his breathing space in huge, leviathan, gulps that disturbed the dust on the ground. The man managed to suffer up after a few consequence and began rummaging in his pelage. After a few try at respective pockets he managed to pull out what looked like a sealed gasbag and thrust it into the air.

"You got… to have… yer letter."The man said breathlessly. He wiped his hand across his look and shook the sweat off on the ground."Blimey you're fast."And with that the tall man dropped to the background and sat there mopping his brow.

"Who are you ?"Called Harry"and why are you chasing me ?"

"I was chasing you ‘ cos you bloody ran away wasn't I !"Said the tall man, pulling off his coating to disclose a dirty White River shirt and gallus."Why'd you do that anyway ?"

"Because I've never met you before."Said Harry."Why would somebody I've never met before be looking for me at Euston place ! Also…"added Harry as another opinion hit him"how did you even know I'd be there !"

"We've met before Harry, y'just don't remember. Not that I'm surprised at that, you were small enough to fit in my mitt back then, and you were sluttish to catch."The tall man said smiling."I knew you when you was a baby. screw your parents too, friends."The valet de chambre head drooped for a bit then came back up quickly."As to how I found you, well, I had some help with that."The man reached into his coat and dug out a pink umbrella with frilly fortify border, it looked almost like it should be in a cocktail nestled in his big hands.

"An umbrella ?"Said Harry"Oh of grade !"Harry stood up and began strutting along the bound of the roof ("Careful"cried the tall man")"Why didn't I see it before ? An umbrella, a magical umbrella that points you on your way ! The umbrella of igniter, The umbrella of seeking !"Harry spun on one human foot and began walking the other way."The pastel, pink umbrella of plenteousness !"Harry threw back his head and laughed."You're crackers mate ! An umbrella can't assistance you find anyone."

"You think so do you ?"Said the man, still smiling,"Then I think it's high prison term you read your letter."The man put the letter on the ground in front of him ( pausing for a moment when he realised he had been using it to mop his eyebrow ) then stepped back and pointed the umbrella at it and mumbled under his breath.

"Hey !"Harry jumped back and almost fell over as one niche of the letter burst into purple flames.

"It's all right ! It's all right !"Cried the man, stamping out the fire with his iron heel."It only got the envelope and that was pretty wet so it's all right. I'll try again."Harry watched in stunned expectancy as the man stepped back again, raised the umbrella carefully and mumbled something slightly different towards the envelope. For a mo zippo happened. Then, slowly, one boundary of the gasbag lifted up, dipped back down again ("steady"mumbled the man ) then righted itself and rose by one street corner as if it was drawn up by an invisible thread. The letter rose high and gamy until it drew level with Harry's nerve. He stood up and the alphabetic character obligingly rose to accommodate him. Harry carefully reached out and waved his helping hand over the letter, then under it, then all around just to be sure. He finally drew his hand back and whispered

"How…"Harry leaned in to get a closer facial expression and suddenly, momentarily, forgot he was on a rooftop. His feet slipped out from under him and he tumbled over, skinning his legs on the boundary before falling like a Isidor Feinstein Stone. As he spun in the air he looked up to see the letter, still casually floating above him."Wyrd day…"Thought Harry, then large hands caught him.

"What'd you do that for ?"said the man. Setting Harry back down on the ground where he stumbled and sat down on a rescue palette."You coulda'been hurt, or worse !"

"How ? ..."Harry pointed to the letter now gently drifting down from the cap."no strings…"

"Oh, that's comfortable stuff."The tall man waved his hired hand disparagingly"Even I can do that, you'll learn that in your inaugural week, its one of the simplest charms."

"Charms ? !"Harry felt like running away again but his pegleg wouldn't move."Like, as in, spells ?"

"Ah…"said the man"I was afraid of that. You're aunt and uncle probably meant to tell you when you was older. We didn't know if they had."

"You know my aunt and uncle."Harry looked at the man and tried to function out the probability that this person was ally with his aunt and uncle. Low, he decided, very, very low.

"Nah, I never met um. But we knew that was who was taking care of you after your parents died."His parents… Harry tried to think what his aunty had told him about them. Very little, just that they were the wrong sort of citizenry and died in some fortuity. A fire wasn't it ? Or maybe a car crash ? Anyway Harry had privately decided that if they were citizenry his aunt disapproved of then he probably would have liked them a lot. Liked them salutary than his aunt and uncle at least.

"That was a long time ago."Harry snapped back to the present."and I'm better off without them taking caution of me !"The improbable man gave him a shrewd feel, taking in his heavily worn dress and place."Well…"added Harry"at least now I don't get slapped if I don't have meals ready for them on time."Harry grinned"Who knows how they managed without me ? Probably starved to expiry trying to work out how the oven works."He laughed and was pleased to see the improbable man laugh too."Mind you it'd take a while to starve Dudley. Fat reserves like a camel !"Harry did a quick fat-cousin belief, waddling along the alley, and the man laughed harder.

"We'll wherever you've come from you're going somewhere better."Said the man when he finished chuckling. He fished the envelope back off the storey and handed it to Harry."This should explicate most of what you're wondering about and I'll fill in the blanks."Harry took the letter carefully and looked at it before opening it. It was an old fashion one, made with yellowing sheepskin and sealed with a pelage of arms in wax, melted wax now of class. Harry wiped the sticky mass away with his sleeve and opened the letter. Inside were three piece of paper and what looked like a train ticket. All made of funny old paper. He stared at the ticket, it had gold leaf an it and had a tumid crest ("probably the Lapp one that was on the letter") embossed into it. Harry wondered what kind of train required a ticket like this, and where such a train would go to. ("Either a land of rich people…"thought Harry"…or a umber factory.")

"Read the letter, read the missive !"Urged the tall man impatiently. Harry tucked the slate into his pocket and pulled out one of the sheets of report. He opened it. His centre slid from one side to the early. He had read each channel about three times before he finally believed that what he thought he record was actually what was on the page. Harry held the letter in front of him and tried to calm his spokesperson before saying,

"A school day ?"

"Yep,"Said the magniloquent man smiling"Hogwarts, best school in the world for people like you. Course the former school'll tell you unlike, but anyone who knows what there talking about says Hogwarts is the greatest. Course we have Albus Dumbledore, none of the eternal sleep of em can say that."

"Who's he ?"Said Harry, still desperately trying to invalidate the one part of the letter that had him shaking most."Someone notable ?"

"He's the headmaster."Said the marvelous man, drawing himself up importantly."He gave me this job himself. Great man Dumbledore. But you'll be seeing him when you reach Hogwarts."Harry's eyes were drawn to the postscript on the bottom of the letter, written in a different script than the remainder of the textbook, and with different ink.
P.S.

Due to your special lot an escort has been provided for you to explain and help oneself you through the process of preparing for your first schooltime yr. If this letter has not come to you via one Rubious Hagrid then you will be meeting him shortly. I wish you all the best for the start of your first schoolhouse year.

Albus Dumbledore


"Rubious Hagrid ?"The tall man nodded.

"Yep that's me. Gamekeeper, caretaker and keeper of keys at Hogwarts."

"And…"Harry took a deep breathing time, there wasn't much else he could ask before he asked this so he should just get it over with."…Hogwarts is a school of magic ?"

"Of course."Said Hagrid."As I said, outflank school in the world."

"magic trick like you just did ? Making things float and explode ?"

"well, yeah."Said Hagrid"What did you recall it imply ? Those tricks muggles ("muggles ?") use to fool around each early ?"

"And you think I can do that ?"

"With a piffling training o'course, that's what Hogwarts is for."Hagrid put his hired hand on Harry's shoulders"Come on, we've stood here long enough and we need to be getting your school stuff. But first we should get you washed up and in some proper clothes."Hagrid led Harry down the alley. Harry followed placidly.

When your stallion aliveness shatters like shabu and is replaced something glittering and new, shrewd and scary. When your lifespan alteration in an New York minute you can either pull back, hold on to the old, try to clean up the pieces and risk destroying the new crystal future you have found, for the sake of safety waters of the past. Or you can drop, laughing into the new life, with its shiny possibilities. And you either ride it through, or get swallowed under.

Harry laughed as he walked out of the alleyway, and into burnished futures.



Lets all lead a minute to give thanks retentivity King for betaing this chapter.

Harry Potter and the ceiling At Nox : Chapter 2 : diddley

Harry raked his script through his shorter hair, trying to prepare it flat. The hairdresser had nearly shoved them out of the shop when they arrived, a conspicuously tall man and a tyke with uncombed, unwashed, un-anythinged whisker. Hagrid had paid her in eminence that looked very old.

"Did he seduce them with thaumaturgy ?"thought Harry suddenly."Could I make them with magic ?"The apparel and the shower at a gym had both been similar oddities but apparently the largest oddity was yet to come.

"That looks OK now."Hagrid had said coming out of a wear computer memory."Now for the real number shopping."

"This clobber ?"Harry fished the list that had come with the letter out of his pocket."volume, wand, cauldron… frog ?"

"Nah, no toad."Laughed Hagrid."But all that former clobber you'll pauperization for Hogwarts."

Harry hurried alongside Hagrid, his psyche still buzzing with questions. But there was no way he was asking about deception in a crowded street wide-cut of muggles ( or was it muddles, or mugwerts. Something like that anyway. ) And when they finally turned into a threshold Harry was so busy looking at where they were that they were pushed to the back of his mind. They had stepped, hopefully deliberately ( this didn't seem like the kind of office that would deal script, or make potions early than the general boozer sorting ) into a darkness, oak beamed, pub wide-cut of solid, old-looking furniture. The drink behind the bar had odd public figure and some of the liquidness fizzed or bubbled. In the dark light source Harry could have sworn one of them was glowing faintly. The signal outside had said"The leaky cauldron ”. It certainly fitted one of the criteria.

As Hagrid led Harry across the floor, weaving around tables Harry began to notice other things that didn't quite fit. Like the wearing apparel people were wearing, half of the people were in normal, but hideously inappropriate and mismatched, clothes. But the other one-half wore what looked like long flowing robes in various colours. The modest item were stranger, no lookout man or walkmans, but instead one man held a marble in his handwriting. As he gripped it the welkin went cloudy-red and the man began consulting a shopping list worriedly. Another man was showing off what looked like a sheep's skull with odd symbols painted on it to his friends ("LE than a sickle ("reap hook ?") and new they go as high as five !"). In a corner two ginger kids who looked like similitude, not practically older than Harry himself, were swapping some sort of trading cards.

"Well…"thought Harry."At to the lowest degree that's normal."

"The usual Hagrid ?"For a moment Harry didn't see where the voice had come from. Then he realised they had reached the bar, and the legal tender was talking to them."Also there was mortal in here selling wyvern eggs. Probably just painted Struthio camelus ones but you never know."

"Nah, nah."Said Hagrid waving one of his big script."Got no sentence for a boozing or to seem at stuff for myself. On Hogwarts business."He patted Harry on the berm."Important."

"Fair enough so… ohh…"The barman was looking at Harry, or more accurately, at his frontal bone. Harry put his script to it and realised that, with his new haircut, the old cicatrix on his forehead was no longer hidden.

"Got it when I was little."Said Harry, unless the bartender was wondering."I've always had it."Did this guy have a scar fixation or something ?

"Of course of instruction you've always had it lad !"Said the barkeeper, half amazed, half amused."You're Harry thrower !"

The room went dead. Suddenly every eye in the room was turned to him. Somewhere around a glass tipped over, spilling its ( fuming and bubbling ) mental object on its owner. No one noticed.

"Harry Potter."Breathed one of the multitude nearest him."Can it be ?"It took Harry a second to shape out the dubiousness was directed at him and another to decide how to answer.

"My names Jack."He said, affronted."Why you all staring at me ?"audio seemed to come back to the saloon as people turned back to their drinks, mumbling and in one case shouting ("Oh no ! its all over my shirt !"). And Harry turned back towards the bar and looked up into the incredulous font of the barman and then further up into the jumble expression of Hagrid."I got the scar falling off my first cycle, odd shape isn't it ?"Harry smiled.

"Yeah, that right… Jack."The barman turned around chuckling under his breath while Harry turned to face Hagrid.

"Would you mind if we got out of here."Harry said quietly."Please."Hagrid nodded quietly and led Harry to the back room access and opened it for him. It was only When Harry got out that he began to breath properly again. Harry's hand shook as he wiped insensate travail off his forehead. What was that all about ?

"Harry ?"Hagrid said quietly."Um… why did you just do that ?"It took Harry a second to frame himself adequate to answer.

"They knew me somehow, or at least get laid my name."Harry shuddered."If a room full of strangers knows your name its either very good news or incredibly bad news."Hagrid fished out a piss bottle and handed in to Harry, who gulped it down."Plus they were all staring like they expected me to do something. All I know how to do for an consultation is juggle. And somehow I don't think that was what they were looking for."Harry splashed some of the piddle into his hand and slicked down one side of meat of his tomentum, right over the scar."Hagrid, why were they staring at me ?"

"Ah… well… you see that's…"Hagrid dry-washed his hired man nervously. Then straitened and walked over to a wall pulling out his umbrella."That can waitress boulder clay later, it's not something I want't discus in a dark alley."Hagrid tapped bricks faster than Harry could come and stepped back."There…"Said Hagrid, obviously lancinate to fill every secretiveness l query re-arise."Here's where you can get your school day poppycock, Diagon alley."The bricks spread apart around the area Hagrid had tapped, opening out to a window into another world.

A long winding street, to the full to the lip with odd robed hoi polloi, and odd shops filled with odder merchandise. colorful house swung from the overhanging stories above them, showing that the shop below sold broomstick or firework. People sold affair out of barrows on the edges, odd vegetables and wooden toys that danced or spun. For now Harry was content to postdate Hagrid, draining in the sights and the sounds of the place. He was almost disappointed when Hagrid stopped in front of a large colonnaded building and went inside.












The interior of the building was as majestic as the outside, with two tenacious desks running the length of the high vaulted room. Light came from windows high up on the walls. Along each desk sat curious animal consulting lists or counting out plenty on coins. There were cup of tea of coins behind the desks too, and the only strait were the slammer of metal on metal and the scraping of shaft. Harry suddenly had the odd sensation that he had entered the cathedral of money, the church of Cash, and knew, acutely, that he hadn't been to idolize in a while.

"Hagrid."Harry said quietly."Why are we here ?"

"Here to shit a withdrawal."Said Hagrid, as if it should be obvious."Can't buy your schoolbooks with muggle money can we."

"This is a bank ! ?"Exclaimed Harry, and was shushed by a nearby beast. He continued in a smooth voice."I don't have any money to take out, certainly not from a place like this."

"Oh, but you do."Said Hagrid, smiling."You're parents set some money aside for your education before they died."

"My parents ?"But the rest of the question was lost as they reached the desk they had been headed for.

"Yes ?"Said the creature, in a bored voice.

"Mr Harry ceramicist ( dreary Harry ) here to make a withdrawal."

"Key please."This animate being obviously wasn't impressed by the figure, if anything it looked more bored than before.

"Key, right…"Hagrid dug through pocket after sack, spilling various things onto the floor and the desk. Harry picked up the matter he could recognise, like scissors and a dog collar, and left the other bits where they were, some of them were moving."Ah !"Hagrid produced a key, that had probably been shiny Au before encountering Hagrid's scoop, and put it on the desk."There we are. Also there's one other thing."Hagrid leaned in close to the creature and handed him a sealed piece of paper. Harry thought he recognised the curvy signature on the nominal head."It's about what's in burial vault 713."

"Of course."Said the puppet, reading the note. For the first metre it seemed interested in what it was looking at. The puppet ("They're hob Harry, sorry I didn't citation that. I keep forgetting you're new to this. Goblins, and this is Gringots.") summoned over another like it but jr. and with a slightly less crisp expression. This new goblin introduced himself as Greeklunk, rolled his eyes at the spine of the departing goblin and led them through one of the doorway in the backbone and down to what looked like a mine car.

"Um Hagrid ?"

"Yes Harry."

"I've never been in a muggle banking concern so I have no comparing but I'm fairly sure mine-carts don't bod into it."

"Oh Gringots runs under one-half o'British capital. If you had to walk to the hurdle it'd assume all day. whirl down pretty far too. The top security vaults are down there, guarded by curses, and lying in wait and dragons…"

"Dragons phone like a good security method."Said Harry, climbing into the cart."Of trend it could be a job if you actually want to withdraw anything without being char-grilled."

"Oh Draco aren't as bad as all that. That's just anti-dragon prejudice."

"Do they breathe fire ?"

"well yes."

"Are they ten foot long ?"

"Oh most are much expectant than that !"

"With huge nipper, teeth, muscles ?"

"Um…"the cart took off with a jolt."I see where you're going with this Harry."

"Just playing around."Harry said as the pushcart gathered amphetamine. Soon the wall were passing at a blur, former tracks winding off to either English. The cart passed through immense caverns and through pin-hole passageways, tipping so far on the bends it threatened to come off. Harry stood face-first to the malarky and closed middle, letting the gusting noise swirl around him as the carts effort buffeted him. After a second base he turned to Greeklunk, just one question on his mind.

"Does it go any faster ?"

"One speed only."Said Greeklunk wistfully. He shared a straightaway smile with Harry and turned his typeface into the wind too. After a second he added with a wide-mouthed goblin-grin,"But we can go labialise some eyelet if you like !"

"No !"Hagrid's muffled yell came from the corner where he sat hunched over."hell Harry, are y'trying to obliterate us ?"

"Are you OK Hagrid."Harry asked, turning around and leaning back against the edge of the cart.

"I'm fine, I just hate these gringots trolleys."Hagrid said, blanching"And hold on to something !"Harry had just spread his subdivision out like flank to better feel the wind, but obligingly put them back down."You make me empty-headed standing like that."

The handcart eventually slowed and pulled up next to a vault. Harry hopped out of the cart to examine this new surrounding followed, much more slowly and with opinion for his stomach, by Hagrid. Greeklunk led them to one especial vault and turned brought out the key Hagrid had given the desk hobgoblin. The lock squeaked as Greeklunk turned it with the key and there was the sound of big bolts drawing back.

"Here you are Harry."Said Hagrid as the vault swung open."Your inheritance."

Harry's mind rebelled. Not on-key, it insisted to its dishonest eyes, the characterisation your sending me just can't be true. There is no way. Just no way… Harry barely noticed as Hagrid walked into the vault and took a few coins from the passel of amber and more generous handfuls from the silver and bronze piles.

"This should be enough to go on."Hagrid stepped back out of the hurdle and had to physically act Harry to give up Greeklunk to shut down the door. Harry was silent as they stepped back into the pushcart and for a piece just stared at the walls rushing past until finally he felt he had his own cerebration in order enough to try and get answers for them.

"Hagrid ? My parents left money here, so they must've been magic too, right ?"

"Well of course they were ! Lilly and James River potter. capitulum boy and girl of Hogwarts they were when they were there."

"thaumaturgy runs in fellowship ?"

"Normally it does yes."

"My aunt and uncle ?"Harry asked incredulously.

"But not always."Hagrid added nodding."You're mum was the first on her side of the household with it."

"And they were stinking rich ?"

"Comfortable Harry, comfortable."Hagrid sat up to spill the beans brass to typeface."I suppose they never were strapped for immediate payment but hardly stinking rich, no, no.

"But, that bank vault ?"

"wellspring all the money they had went to you when they di…"Hagrid stopped and frowned at himself."I'm sorry Harry, I should'nt've blurted that out."

"It's all right."Harry said shrugging."I don't remember them."

"That's not all right !"Said Hagrid with a mix of wrath and sadness."If anything that makes it regretful !"

"Tell me a picayune about them then."Harry said, careful not to let one shred of eagerness enter voice."It might bring your head off the cart for a while longer."Harry laughed as Hagrid suddenly looked around and, seeing that he was sitting up, not holding on and had momentarily forgotten his nausea, let out a yelping of surprise and curled back into a corner.

After a mo he began to talk and Harry let the words wash over him. Hagrid didn't seem very good at telling taradiddle, his mind jumped about with many a"and there was this former time…"and seemed to alternate from his fathers first year at Hogwarts, to his parents wedding, to some game called Quidditch his father apparently played, to just describing his female parent face. In the middle of a blow by boast verbal description of a fighting between his don and some other kid ( Snipe ? ) Harry realised they were no longer moving. Glancing around he saw a dim, disused, dingy and dank part of the bank caves with just one with child burial vault in view side by side to the cart. Thinking back Harry realised they had not moved in some clock time and he glanced over to Greeklunk who smiled back at him, waiting at the control levers. Harry mouthed

"Thank you."at him. Then said out loud…"Hagrid ? I think we're here."

Cut off in mid flow, Hagrid shook himself out of his recall and stood up. As Greeklunk led them to the doorway Harry noticed that it had no keyhole and no handle."Deep down in Gringots."He thought."And even eminent security than they put on piles of gold ?"

"What are we here to get ?"Harry asked warily.

"Best you don't think on it too much Harry."Said Hagrid."limited mission from Dumbledore. Very secret."

"Something magical ?"Harry asked."Another umbrella perhaps ?"Hagrid looked at him oddly for a instant before realising it was a jocularity. Greeklunk ran a fingerbreadth down a constituent of the doorway and it dissolved like dust into the air. The goblin then stepped back warily as if he didn't want to be closer to the capacity of the bank vault than he had to be. While Hagrid stepped into the vault Harry turned to Greeklunk and whispered

"Do you sleep together what's in here ?"The hobgoblin shook his head.

"And I don't want to find out."The hobgoblin shuddered."The burial vault down here are the top security. I haven't been here long enough to see more than one or two. Sometimes its just money, people who want it as safe as potential and don't mind the special mission, but sometimes…"

"Worse ?"

"Much worse."Greeklunk leaned against the rampart and put an odd reefer in his sassing and began to manducate it."There was one guy a few days ago, Rich toff from one of the old wizarding mob. All he took out was money but I swear, in the back of the vault there was other hooey. string, knives, a rack, not new stuff mind but some of it looked… used."Greeklunk trailed off into silence, chewing softly.

"You allow multitude to put in material like that here ?"Harry asked.

"That's not the worst of it."Continued Greeklunk, shaking his school principal."That stuff could easily give been full of benighted magic. In fact, considering the source, it probably was."Greeklunk looked like he was about to say more then suddenly broke off and stood up. Muttering to himself he began to pace."You won't tell anybody I said that will you hassle ?"Greeklunk said, sounding worried."Only transactions are meant to be secret and everything. I shouldn't have let myself run like that."

"It's alright, it's not as if you mentioned name or anything."

"I only wish the higher ups would see it like that."Greeklunk shook his head."Ah… time to go."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault stuffing a small grubby parcel into his pocket.

"Something little"Thought Harry."Something low but very valuable and very secret and possibly very unsafe. Something magic. Something…"( he glanced into the vault as the door reappeared )"…valuable enough to rent out an entire bank vault just for it. What are we the couriers of ?"

On the way back Hagrid began feeling sick again so Harry chatted to Greeklunk about Gringots and the carts ("Sometimes we race them after closing hours ! Er, amend add that to your listing of stuff not to cite again Harry."). Finally the cart reached dry land story again and they got out, waved au revoir to Greeklunk and stepped back into the deluge of sound in diagonally.






"rightfulness, first thing first."Hagrid looked up and down the street and stopped when he saw a shop that appeared to have a needle-and-thread sign outside its threshold."We need to get you some robes."madam Malkin's was evacuate except for the proprietor who fussed over Harry like a mother hen, standing him up on a potty and pinning and tucking the retentive pitch-dark robe she threw over him.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts of course."Madam Malkin's articulation was muffled by the bowling pin and clip held in her mouth. Hagrid, standing in the back of the shop mimed drunkenness and pointed back to the talebearing cauldron, when Harry nodded he stood up and walked out the room access. Harry suddenly felt a little vulnerable. Not from people, Harry knew how and when to run from difficulty, but from this man. He was in a foreign country and had just lost his translator.

"So everyone keeps telling me."Harry smiled wanly. Madam Malkin stood up and cock his hair.

"Don't worry."She said in a comforting motherly way."It can fill you like that if you're new to this. You'll soon enough get into the swing music of things."

"How did you know I was new to this ?"Harry asked ( or did everyone know him here ? He quickly glanced up but his mark was still hidden by hair. )

"I see a lot of Hogwarts students come in here for their number one robes."madam Malkin moved around to his other side to begin working on that."You get so you can tell the ones who are muggle-born just by the way they look at anything trick sideways. But in a years time you see them come back carrying broomsticks and making the toilet fly just like the rest. You'll fit in."She knelt down to set out on the hemline and Harry was left feeling more stable than he had all day.

"Just a issue of getting my sea legs."Thought Harry, idly taking two balls from his sac and juggling them one-handed."Get stable in this new world and you'll be fine."Harry added another clod and kept on with one mitt, using the early to get out his list."Still need flight feather, still require parchment, still ..."

"I wish I could do that."Harry looked up to see a little girl about his age standing in the doorway of the shop, an adult ( judging from the froth of brown hair they were both endowed with, probably her mother ) stood talking with one of the store attendants and fiddling with gold coins she didn't seem familiar with. Also, Harry noticed wryly, they both seemed to be looking at anything magical sideways.

"Do what ?"Harry said as the girl was led onto an adjacent footstool.

"That."The girl pointed at Harry's good hand and he realised he was still bouncing the juggling balls.

"Oh, that."Harry suddenly felt like impressing somebody and added another ball before moving to both hired man and separating them out into two loops. He caught one chunk in each hand then flipped his carpus and let the others fall onto the backs, he balanced them there for a moment before slipping them back into his pockets."That's nothing."Harry grinned and winked.

"I tried to learn how to juggle once."The girl seemed to mouth as if everyone should sit up and take notice."I got a Good Book out of the program library that was supposed to teach you but I kept dropping the balls."The girl seemed to realise something and turned to him ( making the someone pinning up her wearing apparel swear and suck a pricked finger )"Unless of course you used legerdemain. Its probably tardily for you to do if you do magic. I never knew I was magic until the alphabetic character came and I'm so glad but I bet I'll be behind everyone else, that's why we came out here the foremost day we could so I would have a hazard to get lots of al-Qur'an for backcloth meter reading. I just hope I don't end up looking stupid."The girl seemed to stop over more from deficiency of breath than from deficiency of words, she didn't look like she ever ran out of words.

"I don't think there's too a good deal danger of you looking stupid"irritating maybe but not stupe"and anyway I'm the same, I was woefully, blissfully and surprisingly ignorant about magic until the letter came and warped the world."He grinned and waved his helping hand towards the window into diagonally"but it can't be anything but fun, especially star school, especially spells."Harry laughed.

"Were not going there to have fun, were going there to learn."The missy sounded scandalised.

"Maybe you're going there to check. But I've always had the opinion that life history's for fun, and if you can't obtain something to laughter at in any post you're not trying hard enough. Anyway…"Harry swiftly moved on as the girlfriend went through several stage of shock."… we'll hardly be able to stave off having fun if we're doing spells all the time, making glut fly, making englut explode, making stuff into former stuff, the whole thing should be a blast."There was an uncomfortable silence, helpfully filled by dame Malkin saying…

"Alright dear, you're done now."Harry stepped off the stool and went to leave, just as he reached the doorway he heard…

"By the way I'm Hermione farmer, What's you're name."

"Harry Potter."The seamstress gasped and stabbed her fingerbreadth again, Madam Malkin looked up in surprise."See you at Hogwarts."He walked out into the street leaving two surprise and two at sea stares behind him.

Hagrid was worried when he caught him halfway back from the Leaky cauldron.

"You should'a waited in the shop."Hagrid said taking him by the shoulder."I was about to come get you. child shouldn't be walking around alone."Harry was about to mention that that was exactly what he had been doing the in conclusion three old age of his life when Hagrid started off towards another shop and Harry had to follow or be swallowed by the crowd.

On the round of the shop Harry met three more prospective Hogwarts pupil, a couplet of twin girls in the apothecary's who laughed when he juggled crocodile oculus and laughed even harder when he was thrown out of the shop class for doing so, and a boy called Blaise Zabini in tucket and Blotts who didn't seem to express mirth at anything and sniffed in utter contempt when Harry bought second hand books.

"There's plenty in that vault to last you know Harry."Hagrid said as they walked out of the bookstore carrying battered but still perfectly serviceable books.

"Easiest way to end up with no money is to expend it when you don't have to. Besides, these are still good."The Bible he was holding picked that moment to spill its foremost few page onto the cobble. Harry picked them up without speaking and set off down the street fast enough to make Hagrid jog to keep up.





Ollivanders came next and Harry thought for a moment Hagrid had taken his advice to heart. Looking at the thin premises with wither Windows and peeling paintwork belied its blurb which made out that it had made fine wand since 382 bc.

"Yes…"Thought Harry,"…in this shop. And you haven't repainted since then."But he walked in all the same and walked up to the counter as Hagrid took a tail by the door.

The interior was full of shelves, piled eminent with long reduce box seat. It reminded Harry of a Cross between an old second hand bookstall and a disused shoe fund. The sliver of light from the windowpane illuminated the speck of dust in the air, Harry blew into it and was rewarded by a swirling radiation diagram, spotlighted in the turbid room. He was just wondering if he should perhaps ring the bell shape when he heard a voice out of the darkness.

"good afternoon."The voice was quiet and felt like old velvet but it came so suddenly that Hagrid jumped like a spooked rabbit and Harry just kept enough of his self-control to avoid jumping himself though his heart felt like it had leapt on its own.

"good good afternoon to you."Harry said, keeping his interpreter steady while thinking"sneaking up on me, huh ? Don't let him see he got to you. For all he knows you heard him coming."Out of the sombreness behind the desk an old, albumen haired and pale-eyed man stepped, cocking his head teacher like a heron.

"Ah, Mr. Potter."The old man couldn't have seen the cicatrice, none of the other masses he'd met had through the fuzz."I was surely I'd be seeing you in my workshop sometime soon."

"Sorry to go on you waiting."Harry leaned back from the gentleman eyes and said."I'm here to buy a wand."

"Why else would you be here ?"The man seemed faintly amused. He drew a mag tape measure out of a pocket and it sprang out of his hand, measuring Harry's arms and fingers."Wands are what I do. I made all the verge here and I remember all of them, even the one I've sold."

"Wouldn't some sorting of placard catalogue would be more efficient ?"said Harry but Ollivander wasn't listening.

"It seemed only yesterday your parents were in here buying their inaugural wands."

"wellspring it would if you've been around since 382bc !"Getting more miffed as the magnetic tape measure wrapped itself around his head.

"You're mother was a unicorn-hair girl, set in willow. expert wand that, I remember the day I made it. Your male parent liked a verge with Dragon heart-string, more powerful. fountainhead I say he liked but its really the wand that chooses the wizard."Ollivander fixed Harry with a stare that made his look like he was being weighed and measured but he managed to say.

"Fascinating, but there's only one sceptre I really want to talk about. Mine. Let me chose it or let it opt me, either way seems fine."

"Very well Mr. Potter."Ollivander seemed oddly happy with Harry's insistence, as if this was the bit he'd been waiting for too. He snapped his fingers and the tape measure curled back up in the thenar of his script."Lets try ..."he ran his long fingers over a nearby shelf then nodded to himself and picked a box that was ( to Harry's eyes ) identical to all the others."… true pine and Phoenix feather, unawares one at five inches."Harry took it and looked at it, it looked like a fat pencil."collapse it a wave."Encouraged Ollivander. Harry swished the wand and jabbed at air to no effect before Ollivander snatched it back off him.

"No, not that one. Lets go in another direction."Ollivander climbed up a ladder on the far side of meat of the shop and dropped down another box."Dragon-heartstring and beach. 12 inch and thin."He called out."Try it."Harry waved the exalt toothpick unenthusiastically before handing it back up to Ollivander who replaced it on the shelf and kicked the ladder over to another area.

More scepter passed by without effect and Harry was beginning to experience worried ( and a niggling hungry ) when Ollivander passed him another wand.

"Phoenix feather and holly Eleven inches."Ollivander handed it to him just like he had all the others but Harry thought he had seen a glimmer in the old gentleman spooky center. Harry raised it apprehensively and swished it like a whiplash. Nothing happened, and silence filled the small shop. Harry held the wand out for the old shopkeeper but he made no motion to carry it. He was staring at it like he did not quite understand.

"Try it again."Was all he said.

Harry obediently swished the wand a bit more and jabbed it in the air. It refused to do anything for him.

"Doesn ‘ t seem to work."Harry placed it back in its box himself and handed that to Ollivander, who finally took it. The pitiful man looked quite confused.

"Dra… Dragon-heartstring."He said after a moment, as if struggling with something."And oak."

A few wands later and one guesswork ribbons of light in the air as Harry swished it.

"Andaman padunk."The scepter God Almighty said almost to himself."and Phoenix feather. Just nine column inch. But this is yours !"He held up the early wand in its box."This is the one you're supposed to have. This wand has at its core, a sealed feather. The bird that gave that feather gave only one other that was made into a wand. Yes, thirteen and a half inch, yew. That wand Harry, gave you that scar."He pointed at Harry's forehead."That wand belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named I'm sorry to say. You and… and… and he…"Ollivander lapsed into silence and Harry said.

"But that one didn't body of work. This one did."He liked the face of the wand he had in his script. The Mrs. Henry Wood was faintly red and the travelling bag where he held it was a little rougher making the thing feel stable in his small manus like none of the others had."How a good deal for this one."

"return it."The old man suddenly looked just that, old. He waved them out as he turned and walked into the backrest of his shop, without taking his eyes off the wand in his hand.










Harry left the Leontyne Price of the verge on the desk and left the old man to his opinion. When they were outside Harry took the principal and a surprised Hagrid followed him. Harry stopped by a little café and sat down at a table in the corner and motioned for Hagrid to sit down too. When he did Harry said…

"Alright. Now I need to know what's going on."Hagrid nodded and sighed, mumbling something about not knowing why Dumbledore thought he was the one who should severalise him, then launched into the story. multitude passed by them but Harry was wrapped up in the history that was, he supposed, his chronicle. Then finally when Hagrid finished he took a abstruse breathing spell and said…

"They think, that something I was or did stopped this dark lord ? And the intellect people are staring at me is because I'm some sort of celebrity-hero ? And everyone in your world knows this ? Including the people I'm going to be going to school with ? And this shadow sensation may still be out there somewhere ? Have I got this right ?"

"I'm sorry Harry."Hagrid shook his header."There's a lot to shoot in on top of what you've already heard today. But you asked, and I would've had to tell you anyway seeing as you'll be going off to Hogwarts with multitude who know."Hagrid suddenly looked around them, some of the shops were already shut and the café owner was looking at them pointedly."We'd beneficial get going."

On the way back down the street Harry deliberately kept his hair up off his scar. the great unwashed stared, he would experience to get used to it.


Chapter 2 : The toaders

Hagrid spoke to the mixologist at the blabbermouthed caldron before leaning down to speak to Harry.

"I've got you a room here at the cauldron."Hagrid pointed back up the stares."I don't know what yer gon na do in the long terminus but for now until you go to Hogwarts you can stay here."

So that was how it came to pass that Harry slept at the tattling cauldron that night, tired from a day that had held more surprise than, well, than the rest of his sprightliness put together. Harry kicked off the blankets when he began sweating and lay back with his hands behind his promontory. His weary body fought his buzzing judgment as it churned through the days revelations. But as the clock crept past football team Harry's trunk began to win and his middle drooped.

He dreamt of wands and whizz and rocketing carts that flew past his heart chased by broomstick. But most of all he kept turning and turning the story Hagrid had told him through his forefront just as he had when he was awake. Again and again a drab physique killed a man, then a woman then touched him on the forefront with his wand. Sometimes the man was Hagrid, his vast bulk blowing away like dust in a flash lamp of twinkle, sometimes the man looked like Harry, but sure-enough, stocky. The killer was high-risk, sometimes it was just a glowering military force, a wave. Sometimes it looked homo, like a villain off TV, decked out in fangs and a cloak as it killed a woman who looked like Madam Malkin. Sometimes it had red eye. Once, it was Harry.

Harry jerked awake and saw that it was still dark outside. He had sweated despite ridding himself of the covers and scrambled to the window to open it. Dim light filtered in from the edges of a sky not quite ready for dayspring. Harry turned and looked over his room, barely glimpsed the night before. It was panelled in oak and the article of furniture was all of the labored wooden form. The bed had a canopy around it that Harry had failed to shut last night, he noted in passing that the under sheet was twisted as if the sleeper had squirmed in the night.

"Running from something"Harry decided grimly. That thought and others made him decide to forgo trying to get some more sleep before first light and wandered over to where he'd dropped his bags by the dresser.

He idly looked through bags, sorting stuff into piles and chuckling as they brought back recollections of versatile episodes of the late day, the shaft the tradesman had tried to give him free when a waft from a fan blew back his whisker, the potion ingredients Hagrid had had to go back in to get after the crocodile eye episode. When he finally had all he owned in good deal in front of him he pulled over a chair and sat down in front of it, considering his dilemma. The orotund flock by far, dwarfing his new robes in weightiness if not in size, was the books.

This really was a dilemma for Harry. Having not had drive to register anything prospicient than a sentence or two in three old age Harry was painfully aware that those books would be seriously heavy going. Checking his ticket again ( from another pile ) Harry counted Day and came up with thirty eight. He counted them again and came up with XXX seven. He did a piddling rhyme in his psyche to remember how many days august had and came up with XXX eight again. He wondered how a lot a room for Sir Thomas More than a calendar month had price and whether he could carry all his books about on the streets and realised that Hagrid had probably paid in betterment to stop him doing just that. The groundskeeper was surprisingly shrewd about some things.

Harry switched his tending back to the books and began wondering instead if a calendar month would be enough. He'd be blown if he was going to this school without knowing a jot more than he knew now and looking like a raw freshman. Harry's belly grumbled and he realised wryly that luncheon had been a long time ago and although a lot had happened in the mean-time dinner hadn't been parting of it. And worse he realised with a chortle, breakfast probably wouldn't be served for hours yet.

"Wow,"he thought grinning"All it takes is just a huge plenty of Au and suddenly you can't miss two meals. Weakling."

Harry lay back for a minute and closed his eyes, then swung forward and pulled a book off the top of the megabucks. After a here and now he replaced it, shuffled through till he found the one with the word beginners in the title and started on that. After a moment he put that back too and found the one that said grade-one. After a moment he leaned back and put his foot up. He had finally managed to empathise the first conviction in one of his Holy Writ. It was a start.

*

Harry was well into the book when he realised that Inner Light was streaming through the Windows and the sounds of the city were filtering through loudly and open. Harry stood up, put the book in his bag and went off to research Diagonally. The barman watched him go but didn't try to block up him.

"Hagrid probably told him to learn me."mentation Harry as he walked out the cover door, turned, walked back in and asked the barkeeper how to open the wall.

The way revealed to him, Harry stepped out onto the bustling street. Harry bought a folded-pastry affair at a handcart and was surprised to notice it was pumpkin. He walked along staring in windows at the several quirk until he reached Gringots. Gaining this familiar ground Harry climbed to the top of the steps, sat down and finished his pastry where he could see everyone come and go. Eventually he got out his book of account and register a chapter on something called alohomora without taking it in before shouldering his bag again and walking back into the crowd.

Harry followed a pattern like this for the next few days, going out in the first light and soaking in the sights of Diagonally until he was sure he knew the place by heart, The stock book of spells ( Grade one ) by Miranda Goshawk was finished and replaced back by A novice guide to Transfiguration Day by Emeric transposition which was itself replace after a much longer interval ( the book was longer and had none of the helpful diagrams Miranda goshawk had added to her book ) by one about Fungi.

Harry was just grinding through a particularly dull passage about moss after a farseeing years walk when he heard a tapping on the window. A Brown University and emollient flecked owl with retentive branch stood on the windowsill. The window was open but the owl just kept sitting there, cocking its head at him until Harry motioned the dame to come in. It ducked under the window material body and hopped onto the story where it scuttled up to the desk and raised itself up to it in one fuss. Careful to keep off disturbing any of Harry's stuff it walked over to him and held out a missive it had clutched in its pincer. Harry took it and the owl hopped back but still stood there, regarding Harry carefully. When he looked it in the eyes it ducked its head and took another footmark back but didn't leave. Harry felt into his pocket and found the remains of his ham sandwich tiffin which he opened and placed near the owl. The owl looked at it but seemed too nervous to consume it. Shrugging, Harry opened the letter. In writing almost as bad as his own Harry read…


honey Harry
Happy natal day. Sorry I couldn't be there in person but what with the school yr just starting there's lots to do at Hogwarts. There was a classroom on the third floor full of flesh eating poke. Anyway I sent you your pose. ( Harry checked inside the envelope and read on bewildered ) Unless you're wondering why the owl still hanging around it's because she's yours. ( Ahh, thought Harry, glancing at the nervous bird ) The coop and stuff should be coming soon too. If you want to publish to me just pay her a letter, she'll know where to come up me. Once again Happy Birthday.

Hagrid


Harry folded the letter up carefully and turned to wait at the owl. It really wasn't that tumid in the body but had long spindly legs that looked like they belonged on a wader. Harry slowly put his arm out and scratched the incline of the bird of Minerva header. She went corpse for a moment then relaxed and cocked her head under his scratching fingers. After a small while the owl managed to pluck up the courage to take a bit of ham off the table and swallow it whole. The next day he took her to eyelops owl emporium where they told him she was a burrowing owl. In light of this he named her power shovel. The clerk said that that was the most unimaginative name he'd ever heard. Harry stuck his tongue out at him and left the shop.

About a week after that Harry snapped keep out the binding of the last book in his muckle. He put it carefully on top of the others and sat there for a patch collecting his thoughts. Then he leaned forward, placed a hired hand firmly on the underside of the deal and turned it over. Digger hooted from her cage as Harry sat back down to read.

*

September the first bloomed bright and ahead of time but Harry was already up. His bag was stuffed to the brim with his schooling clothed and books and his cauldron tied on the exterior and he carried Digger in her coop in one bridge player. Harry walked Diagonally one shoemaker's last time to say goodbye to the masses he'd met on his paseo, Greeklunk at gringots, the fruit seller he chatted to when he got bored of his books and finally to Tom the barman before walking back out into the muggle world.

Kings hybridizing was not far away. But with an owl in a cage and a wide-cut bag even a short way can seem too far and Harry was tired when he reached it.

"one-half an hour to go."Harry checked his slate."Easier to hold off on the train than out here ”. He walked down the chopine past platform eight, past political program nine, past political program ten, back past political program ten, stop, flavour left, reckon right.

A profanity slipped from Harry's sass that made a passer croak and frown. There was no program nine-and-three-quarters, at least not one he could see. Harry had walked the lengths of political platform nine and ten before he saw an odd sight moving towards him. A man dressed in a black cape, attracting many stares from passers by, herded a white-blond haired child towards the political platform. They were followed by a tired looking man carrying a orotund travelling chest of drawers and ( and this was the bit Harry was looking at ) a large owl in a coop. As the three drew closer Harry heard the boy say…

"I don't see why I can't own my own broom father."Harry's distrust were confirmed and he stepped in front of them to say…

"Hello."From the icy look in the military man eyes not a good starting signal but he pressed on."I couldn't assist but overhear that hold out bit and it occurred to me that you might be the sort of people who could show up me the way to platform nine-and-three-quarters."There, that was innocuous enough, if they weren't genius they'd just think he was an idiot. The man looked him up and down slowly.

"So you know about the platform but you don't know how to get to it."The man has an arrogant drawling vocalization."That says to me, muggle-born."The man started forward again suddenly enough that Harry had to jump out of the way. He wasn't fast enough however and the tip of the mankind cane tripped him, sending him sprawling to the flooring. He heard laughter from both the man and the boy that cut off suddenly. Harry got up and dusted himself off but the wizards were no-where to be seen. Cursing himself Harry looked at the meter, barely five arcminute left. Harry was just wondering if there was a second caravan he could aim when…

"Jack !"Harry was thumped on the shoulder and spun around to expect into the lentiginous nerve of one of the twins from the leaky cauldron the world-class meter he had passed through there. They were followed by an elderly teenager, possibly even more freckled than them and a younger one bringing up the back end. Behind them was a plump woman, tempestuous at being left in charge of a whole flotilla of luggage tramcar while her sons ran off and a little girl hanging on to her hand.

"This is the guy we told you about."Said the counterpart to his left as his brothers caught up.

"The guy from the leaky cauldron"The twin to his right hand added as if finishing the sentence.

"The guy who isn't Harry Potter"Added lefty.

"heaps of hoi polloi aren't Harry Potter."Said Harry with a grinning."It's hardly an accolade."("Now how the netherworld am I gon'a be able to tell them the truth."Thought Harry. )

"plosive consonant bothering him beloved, and hold you're go-cart back."The mother had joined them and was pushing them towards the platforms."We haven't got fourth dimension for dawdling."Harry walked with the crowd to the gap between platform nine and platform ten trying to puzzle out out a way to state them.

"You know, about the whole Harry Potter thing."Harry said but was silenced as the sometime chum took his go-cart and walked straight through the rampart. Harry's shock absorber must have came through on his fount because the Mother said.

"first base time to Hogwarts dear ?"

"Either that or I've gone mad and I just haven't realised it yet."This account was becoming Thomas More and more appealing to Harry's brain but the fair sex just laughed.

"Oh, its all mightily beloved, its Ron's first time too."She pointed to the untried son who shrugged and smiled."All you have to do, is run at the roadblock and don't plosive. Don't concern that you'll crash into it, or you will. You see ?"

"Run at the wall."Harry said flatly as the Twin Falls disappeared as well."Alright. Thanks for you're help."Harry added more warmly."But if I end up breaking my skull I'm blaming you."Harry turned to the barrier and broke into a run. He wanted to close his center but kept them resolutely undefendable. The paries came closer. A sudden instant of scare hit Harry and he squeezed his oculus shut and shielded his head teacher with his hands.

There was a moment of quieten force per unit area then Harry opened his eyes and walked out to stare at the red steam engine, sat side by side to the signboard for platform nine-and-three-quarters. He heard a Weird shlooping strait behind him and saw Ron standing there checking himself to see whether he was okay and looking back towards the barrier.

"Skull still whole ?"Harry asked him and got a grin in retort. Harry wandered down the platform and got in a seemingly evacuate go-cart. He saw the platinum haired boy from the political program talking to Blaise Zabini and hastily got back down. The next few pushchair he checked were occupied by people already talking and chatting and showing each early pictures. Harry reached the end of the string and was on his way back when he spotted the boy, Ron, walking along in front of him checking each compartment. Harry walked up and moved into step with him.

"I think everywhere's taken"Harry said as they checked another compartment only to find out a group of seventh years in serious treatment over a newspaper. Harry hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder joint and held the door to the adjacent compartment open for Ron and his immense trunk.

"You're not bringing lots stuff."Said Ron looking between his huge luggage compartment and Harry loaded rucksack."I thought everyone was bringing a trunk."

"I like to travel light."Harry said, they leaned against the paries for a present moment as a gaggle of older students passed."Makes it wanton to run from worry. Besides, I don't have plenty stuff to take one o'those things."Harry nodded towards the trunk.

"I'm Ron."The boy extended a hired man, which Harry took."Ron Weasley. What's your last name laborer ?"

"fountainhead, see the affair about that is."No welcome misdirection here."My name not actually Jack."Seeing Ron's perplexed boldness he continued."You get a line how your sidekick met me right."( nod )."How multitude thought I was Harry potter and turned and looked at me ?"( nod )."fountainhead, try and see it from my perspective, you're suddenly in a new place with oodles of people staring at you."( mute stare )."What would you own told them ?"He lapsed into silence as Ron stared at him for a moment.

"So what you're saying is… that you really are Harry ceramicist ?"Ron laughed and told him it was a commodity antic, he laughed right up until Harry pushed his fringe up and showed Ron the scratch on his forehead. Bokkos optic widened like lamps and his laughter caught in his throat and got turned into a fit of coughing that Harry had to slap him on the back to get him out off."You really are him ?"

“'Fraid so friend."Harry smiled"Sorry for tricking you."

"So, do you think, you know, IT."Ron leaned forward conspiratorially.

"What ?"Harry said, leaning forward and putting on a mock surreptitious accent.

"You know, when…that…"Ron pointed at Harry's scar and Harry understood.

"I remember being hurt. Nothing else really."They walked on in silence for a while.

"Fred and Saint George are gona go crazy."Ron shook his straits slowly while grinning.

"You're crony ?"

"Yeah,"Suddenly a thought seemed to strike Ron."Oh, let me tell them ! The facial expression on their faces…"

"Knock yourself out, only don't, really. Once had a acquaintance who did that, lost component of his computer storage and forgot six."Harry launched into one of his ridiculous and totally fictional stories.

"Forgot six ? Six what ?"

"The number six, he used to count up like… four, five, seven. If you told him he'd missed out a turn he looked at you like you were mental."

"You're having me on aren't you."Ron looked at him sideways and folded his arms.

"Course not. think me. This guy was for substantial, plus if you mentioned to him that if there wasn't a six then where did sixteen and sixty come from ? He'd get a head ache and suffer to go sit down. Was nasty at keeping naming too, on accounting of missing Sabbatum. Even defective he was scared of die. Seemed to think they should be made triangular."Harry launched further into the story, dreaming up more wildly unlikely circumstances when he glanced into a nearby compartment and saw intimate faces.

"Ah,"Harry said"I think I see some hind end we can steal."

*

He opened the door and looked in on the similitude girls ( I'm meeting a lot of similitude ) he'd met in diagonally's apothecary."Hi."Harry said by way of unveiling,"mind if we sit down here ? I could beguile again by way of defrayment ?"The girls giggled and Harry moved into the compartment and helped Ron put his vast trunk in the overhead compartment. He waited until Ron had introduced himself before adding…"and my figure Harry, Harry Potter."

"Are you ? You didn't say anything when we met before."One of the Twin Falls accused.

"There wasn't fourth dimension, what with the being thrown out of the shop and all. Don't headache about that this time, I plan to stay at Hogwarts at to the lowest degree a few days before getting thrown."The counterpart laughed, that was how to do it. severalise a joke just after you say your figure ‘ cos you can't gasp and laugh at the same time."And anyway, you didn't tell me your names either."

"Well I'm Padma, and this is Annapurna Patil."Said Padma before her Sister added"Do you have the scratch ?"Harry obligingly lifted his hair's-breadth and let it return back."Wow."The Twin Falls looked at one another then broke out into giggles. But Anapurna added through the laughs,"I expected you to be grandiloquent though."Harry looked around and realised he was the shortest mortal in a 50 pct lady friend room then shrugged.

"It's an visual illusion."he said with a grin,"I'm really a giant."

"Nah,"said Ron"If you were you wouldn't fit in the string. And you'd be a completely lot uglier !"

"Thanks."Harry said flatly while wondering whether he was serious ( dragons, so why not giants ? ). Before he could say anything else the compartment door slid open to show a witch pushing a tram broad of food.

"Would you like anything off the trolley honey ?"She asked. A momentary-flash-fire three way struggle raged in Harry between hunger, parsimony and a pauperization to impress but the matter was decided by a set of creamy orange cakes sitting on one side of the trolley. On seeing them, thrift waved a little tweed flag.

"Two of those please."Harry said, pointing at the patty. Ron mumbled that he had brought sandwiches but the twins seemed to have worked out all the poppycock they were getting in advance and amassed a small mint of their dearie in front of them. As the trolley moved away Harry held up one of his bar and said."Now, can anyone tell me what the hell I just bought ?"

"You don't get laid ?"Ron said disbelieving"They're caldron cakes."Harry bit a little off one of them and smiled as the creamy weft hit his tongue.

"Wizards get squeamish food."Harry said leaning back and taking another bite.

"What do you have in mind ?"said Parvati.

"Why wouldn't you have eaten witching food."Added Padma.

"I didn't grow up with sensation, or witches or dragons or giants."Harry gestured widely at the surrounding area."Welcome to my journeying of unvarying Revelation. I'm just waiting for the aliens to spring out with Elvis and all will be complete."He stopped and waited on their confused stares.

"I wondered why you couldn't get onto the platform."Ron said after a minute."Once I found out who you were of form. But I guess you must take in been raised by muggles after You-know-who kill…Ow !"Parvati had kicked Ron hard in the shin and was making shushing noises while her sister stared disapprovingly at the ginger child. Harry just laughed.

"Don't lame Ron on my account."Harry took another bite out of his bar before saying"My parents died a long time ago. Beyond my memory of consequence, so it doesn't matter if you talk about them."

"Who took care of you ?"Ron asked while rubbing his smarting leg."I didn't see anyone at the station with you."

"Who took tutelage of me ?"Harry paused a piffling too long before answering."Well, myself I guess. For the endure three years at least, I lived with my auntie and uncle before that. wellspring, I say lived with, survived is probably the unspoiled term. That's why I left."Harry lapsed into silence and quickly began to panic under their stares, this was speculative than when they learned his name.

"So, you lived alone ?"Anapurna broke the quiet."Without a kinfolk ?"

"Without a habitation ?"Padma added onto the end of her babe question. Ron just sat there looking dumbstruck.

"Yes without a category, yes without a home."Harry's heart began to speed and he could sense the sweat from their stares. He fumbled in his sac and brought out two juggling orb and began to bounce them in one script, he could palpate the tension ebbing, relaxing, growing smaller but still sitting there, in the cover of his mind, weighing it down. It had been quiet too long, defecate them talk again."Neat story yeah ?"Harry said pocketing the Lucille Ball."Anyway its not as bad as you think, I think I had a lilliputian assistance after I left my aunt and uncle's."

"What do you signify ?"Ron leaned forward, his mouth good of sandwich.

"We'll, its something I worked out since I found out."It had taken him a while to realise it, his judgment soaking into the old books he was reading, the comprehension had come to him slowly, as Sir Thomas More and more pieces fell together."You know unplanned magic…"

"The sort muggle-born-wizard nipper use when they don't realise it."Parvati said, then gasped."You've been using it already, that's how you survived homeless person as a kid !"

"Yep,"Harry smiled happily."I used to think I was prosperous, born lucky, you know ? Any meter I was really in trouble like, like with the police force ("police ? !"gasped Ron, The twins eyes went wide with seismic disturbance. ) something always happened. Like a logic gate I'd just ran through locked and barred itself behind me, or a water master bursting right under a cop-car."

"Were they hurt ?"Ron looked aghast.

"Nah, just broke the car. Still, none of those were as serious as this one time."Harry motioned for the others to slant in and they obliged, now wrapped up in his story."I was being chased by this ring o'drunken guy cable right ? Chasing me over some small matter of little grandness that was blown far, far out of proportion."

"What did you do ?"Padma said flatly.

"I said their female parent must suffer been sheep and for no reasonableness they took it as an insult."Harry shook his head ruefully"Some mass have no mother wit of humour, they took it totally out of context of use. Anyway, normally I have no trouble outdistancing tope fleece yobs but in this case I was in a parting of townsfolk I hadn't been in before and I found myself in the indefensible position of facing a short end with six of the idiots tearing down on me."

"Did you rick them into something ?"Parvati leaned forward eagerly.

"Not quite."Harry said grinning,"Elseways I'd have turned them to sheep for a truly ironical ending. But instead as they ran at me they all suddenly fell over at the Lapplander time."

"Oh, you just knocked them down."Padma sounded disappointed."That's not very interesting."

"Not knocked down, slid over."Harry's eyes twinkled."I wasn't sure at the time but I think I turned their place to ice. Have you ever seen six drunk Guy hangin'off each other ‘ cos they couldn't stand up. Any prison term they tried to stand up they just fell flat on their faces again."Harry raised his arm then flipped it over making a swishing sound and dropped it onto his lap.

"Of course, if they'd just had the smarts to ask their shoes off I'd have been a goner, but with a little supporter from the alcohol they'd drunk that didn't occur and I was safe to slip away."Harry laughed and after a moment his friends laughed too. Harry could remember that nighttime clearly, he hadn't laughed then. He'd cried and ran and shivered through his coat. He hadn't slept that Night either, he hadn't felt safe too but instead had just ran and ran until his pegleg gave out and he crawled into a darn of shadows and to lie there trembling. Laughter was slowly after but he would never forget the fear.

"That's nothing."Ron said, clearly trying to top Harry."One time when I was out on my broom…"He got no further into his story as the door slid open to reveal a neural looking kid with a chubby human face and watery eyes.

"Has anyone seen a toad."The boy sniffed loudly."I've lost mine. He's called Trevor."

"No, I haven't."Harry looked over Ron, Anapurna and Padma to see a chorus of shaking foreland."No, he hasn't been in here… But."Harry added as the son eyes started to well up again."I could help you attend if you like."Parvati was quick to add that she'd help too. Padma sighed but repeated what her sister said. Ron said nothing and rolled his eyes.

But the Weasley was outnumbered and so The plurality started off down the corridor, Harry idly juggling and starting another of his raw material tale, Padma and Annapurna listening intently, Neville ( the toadless wonder ) had stopped crying and was even smiling at the story and Ron bringing up the rear, trying to act this wasn't better than sitting in a cabin.

*

Everything was going so well ( no they had not actually found the batrachian but they had met lots of concern people and one interesting giant spider. ) when Harry saw someone coming down the corridor and grimaced. His little grouping of toad-hunters stopped dead as the platinum haired kid from the post walked towards them flanked by two racy student. ("well, I say robust."intellection Harry."It's really just fat. A ton o'fat and about ten stone o'ugly to season.").

"Oh,"said the boy in a drawling, world-weary interpreter."Its you, the mudblood from the station."Harry heard Ron gasp and Annapurna yell"What did you say ? ! ”.

"So you finally found you're way onto the platform."The boy ignored the response he'd produced and continued his self-important oration."Too bad for you, if you'd just stayed you would have been spared the mortification of being constantly bettered by the material magician. My father always says muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed to attend with us pure blooded wizards."

"You haven't seen a toad have you ?"Harry asked brightly.

"What ?"Said the boy. And was echoed by Ron and Neville.

"A toad."Harry kept smiling."You know, diminished, Green, frog-like thing, solvent to the name of Trevor."

"No I have not seen a toad."Said the boy acidly.

"Sorry but you just seemed like the kind of guy who would cognise where to find green, slimy, disgusting reptiles."With his punch-line achieved Harry dropped his smile and glared at the boy as Ron and the counterpart began laughing, Neville just looked frightened.

"Who do you recollect you're talking to."Said the boy, ignoring the fact that the great unwashed in nearby cabins had opened their threshold to listen."I am Draco Malfoy, my father is Lucius Malfoy, you'd best not make enemies you can't deal with mudblood."Once again the Holy Writ produced a reaction, even from the masses in the cabins. almost of them erupted in angered grumble, a few looked at Malfoy proudly."Anyway, I don't see why I'm cachexy time with the the likes of of you. There's a hearsay that Harry Potter is on the train."That set off a different sort of reaction, a frenzied gasp and hasty, whispered conversation."And I'm trying to find him before he falls in with riffraff like you."

"Unless he's a toad I doubt you'll find him."Harry said smiling."Oh and also, I'm not muggle-born, you're esteemed father just assumed that."

"But I suppose you must be a mudblood lover."

"Oh yeah, I think their great. I have no approximation what they are but since you seem to hate them so often and god Truth, the more I see of you the more I seem to hate your moxie I can be certainly I'll sexual love ‘ em to bits. Now, would you heed moving, I have anuran to observe, and all I'm determination here are worms."Harry pointed straight at Malfoy and then to the side of the carriage. Malfoy remained stock still. The carriage had gone deadly quiet.

"Who do you consider you are ?"genus Draco said with undisguised scorn.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."genus Draco's eyes went wide and the compartments once more began whispering."This is Ron Weasly and Neville Longbottom, and Padma and Parvati Patil."Harry advanced on the blond haired kid before him and waved his hand at the monster bodyguard."Now, aren't you going to introduce me to you're friends…pets…companions. Interesting how you managed to fit two hippopotamus into uniforms, you would own thought the tails would get in the way."Then Harry noticed the overlord stroke, a small green lump near Malfoys kicking. He stooped, swiped it up and held it for all to see.

"Trevor !"Cried Neville happily.

"Look at this hombre, it's even better than I thought. Malfoy…"He jabbed his thumb behind him,"…actually attracts slimy creatures. He doesn't need to seek them out, they come to him ! I wonder why that is ? I think…"Harry went on in a stage whisper"… that it might be the smell."He just had clock time to see the laughter erupt before something hit him in the back of the head.

*

Harry went down hard and felt a weightiness land on top of him. It felt like both the Hippopotamus amphibius were on him, punching and kneeing for all they were worth. Harry kicked up and when one flinched back he rolled out from under and turned his roll into a jump to his feet. He saw one of the kids trying to rise and pushed him back down on top of his ally. At that moment he felt hot sparkle singe his neck and smelled burnt whisker and turned to see Malfoy standing there with wand drawn, the finis faint luminescence just fading from the tip. Harry looked around and saw that no one had moved. The thing had happened in moments. Then suddenly one of the Onlookers glanced down the carriage, yelled

"PREFECTS ! ! !"and suddenly everyone jumped back into their cabins. Harry felt two stage set of hands grab him by the shoulders and pull him in with mortal. He turned to see the grinning faces of the Weasly twins and the toad hunting gang.

"That."Said Ron"Was bloody brilliant."As if that loosened everybody's tongue they all began talking at once. The Weasly twins congratulated him on putting down a Malfoy, Padma said she didn't think anyone had caused this much trouble before even getting to Hogwarts but she was smiling when she said it, Neville said nada but began looking at Harry with a kind of awe that was uncomfortable. Recounting the competitiveness and the taunting that prompted it kept them laughing until Anapurna glanced out the window and said

"Ooo, we're here."As if on cue the train started slowing. Harry looked out onto the wet platform as the train stopped and breathed in deeply.

"Almost there…"He thought."…everything's beginning."

*

Harry's hand drifted through the pee, forgotten, as he stared out from the boat he, Ron and the twins had shared. All talk of the town had just been lost as they rounded a promontory and saw in the distance, their name and address. Hogwarts, it sprawled over the kingdom on one side of the lake, a vast donjon or castle with tall, needle towboat and jumbo residence hall. Every windowpane glowed from within and strike beams of light out like searchlights. Harry had never seen anything like it. He wondered for a moment whether that was because it was magic, certainly some of the tugboat looked like they couldn't be supported by just stone and mortar.

Harry stood up in the boat and watched the palace for as long as he could before they came too stuffy to the cliff to see it. And as Hagrid led the boats in through a cave Harry turned and sat down.

"This will be unbelievable."Harry said quietly, smiling.

"Wait till you get inside."Ron grinned,"Fred and George VI told me everything about it. Apparently the stairs motion and there's confidential transition everywhere."Harry made a mental distinction to find all of them."And there's creature in the keep that the teachers don't know about, and there a way full of hoarded wealth in one of the paries. Fred and George III said they 'd have got it out by now if it wasn't guarded by a monster."

"That's a bunch of pig poo."Parvati scoffed ( Harry chuckled at the absurdly modest profanity ) as they stepped out of the boat onto a landing place."My ally's in her third gear year and she once told me Fred and George Weasly were the liberal joker and the large liars in the whole school."Ron bristled and was about to come back when Harry said

"From what I've seen of you're brothers Ron, they'd take that as a complement."Ron turned on him and was about to repay when he suddenly looked paying attention and nodded his head. Harry suddenly grinned and spread his arms above his principal. Then he let himself accrue slowly, forward then curled, put his hands down and stood straight like a goad with his toes pointed up at the sky."But I don't think they'll take this so easy…"Harry pushed up and landed back on his ft to see astonish stares,"…if they do hold the prankster treetop they'd ripe savour it while they can ‘ cos I'm on the scene now."Harry put his mitt on his hips and licked his front line teethh."And they ain't seen nix yet."

*

It was a moment before anyone spoke up but Harry saw their expressions. Ron's looked shocked beyond words and had his oral fissure open, Padma was looking at him like he was joking in some way but her sister was smiling and nodding with a glimmer in her eyes that said she was planning to try for a bit of mayhem herself. But it was secret choice four who reacted first.

"You're already planning to break school ruler and you're not even past the sorting yet."Harry turned, praying he was untimely about recognising the vocalism."I have half a mind to narrate the schoolmaster about you right now."Prayers unanswered. The voice came from the bushy haired girl from diagonally who was standing with her hands on her hips facing them as the other inaugural age filed past down the corridor.

"Herm…ione, right ?"Harry said smiling for all he could.

"You should all keep away from him."The young lady ignored Harry and addressed the other toad Orion."You could all get into huge trouble."With that the girl turned and marched off after the 1st twelvemonth. Meanwhile Harry turned back to the others.

"So, you've heard my thought and you've heard the opposition."He jabbed his helping hand at Hermione's back."Who's with me ?"Grins answered him, even ( eventually ) from Neville."proper then, I'm happy you guys are behind me. Now lets get going. If were latterly we'll never even get put into the schooltime to get thrown out !"They hurried after the others. Surprisingly it was Neville who brought up the subject of what to call themselves. Some estimate ( Not all of them good ) were bandied about. Ron seemed to be set on putting the Holy Scripture cannons in the epithet for some reason but was silenced when Padma sarcastically said

"Oh, so we don't we want to be named after a winning team ?"That could have come to blows without Harry's mood- lightening abilities. Even after a lot of other options ( some very chill, Harry held out for the name the toaders for a long prison term, Neville had suggested it but it did describe them up to now ) one name seemed to stick and, even when other alternative came up they still found themselves using that one ( except for amusing effect, when Harry still used the toaders. ). It felt correct somehow, like they had already been using it and just hadn't known it.

"After all ..."Said Ron"My brothers could count as the old 1, and we're out to supplant them, so were the new unity !"Harry didn't think that was the reasonableness somehow, but the name itself fit like a glove.

So, as Harry potter, Ron Weasly, Neville Longbottom and Padma and Parvati Patil walked into the waiting entrance hall by the great G. Stanley Hall and the last of the sunset-sunlight streamed in through the window the New piranha were born.

*

They stepped into the not bad mansion in a row and giggled when they gasped in tandem. The sight was awe inspiring, the vast tables of students staring and pointing, lighted by hundreds of floating candles and even skillful, Harry's eyes travelled upwards and he smiled in rapturous wonder. The night sky greeted him above, every star bright and clearly like a back-lit baseball field. Like Au debris. Having never been far out of the M25 Harry had grown up with streetlamps and lightness pollution. The hotshot were natural endowment, just one Thomas More thing he wanted to thank this place for.

He quietened as an one-time witch carried an old hat out to the stage and set it down on a ordure. She straightened and delivered her command in a crisp, effective voice and the vestibule instantly became silent. Harry thought he saw the hat move then turned back to the witch. But no ! it had moved, and now it split down a ridgeline and opened like a mouth to say…


Lasting K years and more
By the noted Hogwarts four
The home of renown

Each one of pureness rightful and thou
And at their giving birth you understand
My job was then set down

I was put here to separate you antic
You sorry, snot-nosed, shorty, folks
To one of them today

To Griffindor
The Panthera leo roar
The brave and bold dwell there

To Ravenclaw
Where there it's more
The mind that holds the professorship

To Hufflepuff
Of sterner stuff
The loyal and the just

Or Slytherin
The wits to win
Where cunning is a must

These four alone await you here
And I can select,
just volunteer
Nothing to fear
Just lend an ear
I'm quite sincere
Can't wait to see them jump-start and urge on !

And when you're settled
Where you belong
I will be done
Just like this birdsong

"good story yeah !"Ron leaned over to Harry.

"Not really."Harry had taken the shorty ethnic music comment a bit personally. He was also deeply worried that, of all the descriptions mentioned in the Sung, cunning described him salutary than Wise or steadfast and definitely intimately than brave. When Harry looked over to the Slytherin table he recognised some of the mass who had cheered Malfoy on the train.

His superfluous investigation before arriving had also turned up the Slytherin name, frequently associated with the iniquity and iniquity. And the hat's verbal description had matched him. Harry felt suddenly very cold and diminished and he felt like a dark cloud had touched him. He shivered and told himself it was his imagination.

He could avow he felt heart on the rachis of his headland but when he turned around the only person there was a cut, nervous looking magician in a pillbox chatting to a lank-haired and sallow-faced professor. The lank-haired teacher eyes flicked to his expression, then to his frontal bone and Harry turned back quickly. Just in metre to listen the first name called out.

*

Harry stood, his middle beating fast in his chest of drawers and his lungs feeling like exercising weight had been hooked to them. One by one the citizenry around him sat down to be sorted, he blessed the fact that he wasn't called Brown or Abbot, he couldn't have taken being the first to the stand.

Each person chosen prompted a new spate of cheering from the firm they were chosen for. Harry had the insane itch to get out his juggling testis just to live over his stress but knew he couldn't, not under all those optic. A import later he recognised Hermione walking up to the chair and sitting, jamming on the vocalizing hat, a few moments later and the hat pronounced her a Gryffindor and she ran down to the board. The next person he recognised was Neville, he tried to exclude away all his nervus and give Neville an encouraging Wave as he walked past, ashen faced. After what must have been minutes the hat sent Neville to Gryffindor too and the succour on his nerve was clearly visible.

Malfoy went to Slytherin and Harrys gut seemed to cease up blind drunk. They were on to the P's now and Harry was indisputable his face must be showing his thought despite his effort. The twins went on one after another, the hat sat for an age, chewing and mumbling over Padma before eventually sending her to Gryffindor but Parvati followed after her almost instantly. One more epithet then…

"Harry Potter !"

"Alright."Thought Harry"If there was ever a time you needed to prevent you're sang-froid. This is that time."He made himself swagger a little as he walked over to the chairperson through the whispering and stares then forced himself to grin as he dropped the hat on his head. The dark was receive as the hat slid over his heart but then…

"Hm… Another tricky one."It was the part of the hat, but quieter now, and coming from just outside his ear."Good thinker but underused, fast soul but no represent loyalties, and with your fears…"

"Hey !"persuasion Harry, for a present moment Thomas More angry than scared."Who the hell said you could attend around in my brain anyway ! That stuffs bloody buck private !"The hat seemed amused.

"I only look to put you where you'd fit in best, it's in your best interest group you know. To go with hoi polloi who understand you, whose creative thinker are like your own, full of cunning ways, conceal route, former way to get what you want. I can institutionalise you where you'll fit in, where you'll find friends, in the firm of Salazar Sl ..."But Harry cut him off.

"That's enough ! I will not let myself be placed in a house of dark sensation and disgusting mass !"Harry thought angrily."I don't see what gives you the right to chose either. I chose my path ! Always ! If you looked a niggling foster in my brain you'd see the right o'that ! I chose to exit domicile ! I chose to come here ! No parent ! no pathfinder ! I made my own way here, ME ! Its my life and I want to go to Gry ..."

"GRYFFINDOR !"The hat yelled triumphantly in the midriff of his sentence and Harry was dumbstruck for a second before grinning and rolling his eyes.

"Cheap trick."He said to the hat, before placing it down and walking towards the cheering red and Au table.

*

He sat down near Padma, Parvati and Neville who had saved spaces for him and Ron.

"That's a bit of a relief."If he had been being good Harry would have said he felt like he was walking on air."I don't know anyone in the former houses."A few moments later Ron was put with them as well and dropped down in the remaining hind end, looking as relived as Harry felt and said.

"Don't know what my parent would have said if I hadn't been picked for Gryffindor."Harry was about to say something comfortingly-funny when the lobby went hushed. Harry looked around and saw that the man sitting at the middle of the high table had stood up.

He looked very old but he stood without a stoep and had straightened smoothly. His hair and beard were white snowy and tied into two stern, one down the front, one down the back. As he surveyed the foyer, Harry could induce sworn the humankind eyes fixed on him for a split second before moving on.

"Who the Scheol's he."Asked Harry.

"Albus Dumbledore pillock !"Hissed Anapurna."The Headmaster."

"One piece of advice comes to me at this time."The old humankind voice sounded faintly amused, like he knew something funny that everyone else didn't."Hungry small fry listen only to their grumbling stomachs. With that in mind, tuck in !"Harry saw the home plate in front of him fill with everything imaginable. Plates of meat and potatoes piled high, and pitchers full of juice and milk. Harry looked so long he didn't click that everyone else had started.

"Not hungry ?"Ron asked through a taste that said clearly that he was. Harry shook himself and started fishing things off the plates for himself. He was almost let down when the deserts appeared and was definitely foiled when they went though he couldn't have eaten another snack. He was sitting in a happy, sleepy, full and contended haze when he saw the master rise to his feet again.

"I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, that initiative geezerhood are reminded that they are not allowed their own ling, that inaugural and secondly years are prohibited to recruit Hogsmead hamlet, that all scholar are forbidden to enter the proscribed timber and that anyone with any sense of self saving should quash the tierce floor corridor on the right hand side. Thank you."

"Third floor corridor ?"Said Ron."Hey George ! Fred !"He yelled down the table at his brothers."What's on this 3rd floor corridor ?"

"Nothing the cobbler's last time we looked."Said Fred."Why ?"

"Is piddling Ron scared ?"Added his brother laughing. Ron turned back sullenly.

"What do you think ?"Harry asked the group as a whole.

"If there was anything there last class they'd know about it."Ron said crossing his arms and directing a black facial expression back along the table."So whatever it is it must have only just happened."

"Their hiding something."Said Anapurna confidently."There's something powerful they're researching and they want to keep it mystery, there's no danger."

"Dumbledore said people who go up there could die. You saying that's not grievous ?"Ron asked.

"Well of course of study if Dumbledore says it then it must be true. He couldn't possibly he lying or exaggerating to wee-wee sure nobody goes up there."Padma raised an eyebrow at Ron."That would just be silly."

"But wait !"Neville had just caught up with the conversation."You're all talking like we're actually going up there !"

"Oh we're going."Harry took a sip of juice before going on."There was never any interrogative sentence of going or not. As soon as it became veto it became our inaugural target."

*

But there was little luck for Harry to carry through on his promise for the first few days, object lesson followed lesson and Harry found himself challenged to prevent up. Everything in the playscript he'd read seemed to be about one one percent of what they needed to know and each new concept sent him out from the lesson scratching his heading back to the books and then to the new single he'd got out of the library.

The lonesome understanding he wasn't totally swamped was that after every day he could bring back to the Gryffindor common room and sit down on the board that had already been designated, even by older scholar, the Marauders table. On his s day Harry had simply invaded this table and pulled four other chairs around it, plopped his bag down and waited. By day four it was established and the stead reserved.

It was near enough to the fire to be warmed by it and was constantly piled with their books and purse, whatever sweets they had each donated to the pot, a wizard chess set in permanent disarray, at to the lowest degree one transcript of Witch Weekly and, more often than not, Trevor. And under the pile, between the varlet of the books or hidden in sweet wrappers there were maps, details, composition and ideas.

The five of them would work on the years burdensome homework till the plebeian room began to empty, then the books would shut and the work would begin in earnest. It had moved beyond the tierce floor corridor of path, there were plans to get into filches billet, McGonagall's function, each of the other usual elbow room, plans to curse people ( 99 % of those citizenry being Slytherins and 80 % of them being Malfoy ) and plans to find all the secret passageway of the school.

Harry laughed Sir Thomas More than he ever had before and did whoremonger as they planned. Harry had never believed that Hogwarts could be like this, friends everywhere and a spread at every meal. Even the lessons couldn't put a dent in this. Then, on Fri, Harry awoke from eternal sleep after a particularly safe provision session and went downstairs to breakfast. If Harry had had a single prophetic bone in his torso he would have shivered when looking at his days timetable.

"Oh,"He said brightly."Potions today."

*

"Potion devising is as… beautiful a skill as it exact. As deadly as it is complex and as hard to learn as it is rewarding to those who have the talent, and the predisposition to do so."

Harry and Padma looked at each early sideways and each saw the other barely stifling giggles.

"For those lucky enough to be able-bodied to excel in my subject."The hook nosed, sallow faced prof continued."It will reap them wages far beyond any puerile magic spell or spell. What trance can satiate the lineage with blast, can vote down silent as a mouse, can fan life back into what former spells would deem a corpse, can transport person into so trench a slumber they will never awake."

"I don't know any spells for the last one but his voice is doing a pretty upright job so far."Padma whispered and Harry had to bite his upper lip to keep the sounds in. They had been set at a desk thankfully near the back of the course of instruction and could look clear across the hale form to where the teacher, one Severus Snape, stalked in battlefront of the chalkboard. The reason they were laughing so hard was that, before the example, Ron's brother had treated them to an impression of Snape which, at the clip, they had thought was an exaggeration.

"But to the highest degree of you will not have that skill and will doubtless find yourself confused… baffled… and, if prior disasters are any indication, severely burnt in this classroom. If that is the face then I ask that you don't hesitate to come to me for help."("WHAT ?"Harry's dumbfounded aspect was mirrored on every face in the division )"And I will order you what I tell all the other students stupid enough to come in to me. ‘ I don't CARE.'” The teacher waved his baton at the display board and some instructions appeared there.

Later in the lesson, when Snape was making his rounds around the desks staring at everyone's caldron and making disparaging input to everyone not in green trimmed robe, Harry made a point of looking Snape directly in the center as he passed by and smiling from ear to ear.

"Something risible Potter."drumhead turned to watch."You see something you find amusing ?"

"I don't think you'd get the trick prof, it's a young thing."Harry said sagely."contemporaries gap and all. But…"Harry added."I'll be for sure to came to you if I ever feel baffled… or burnt."

"A state of personal business I foresee happening frequently. Lets see if we can speed up thing up a little. Tell me…"Snape's back snapped straight like a willow twig and he looked down at Harry."What would I get if I added powdered radical of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood ?"

"Draft of living death."Harry's prior-reading-parachute deployed on cue to save him."A sleeping potion."

"Incorrect."Snape glowered.

"self-justification me."The annoying device to the words… the self-important accent… Hermione sat at the next table over and was turned towards Harry and Snape."The result is the tipple of living expiry. A sleeping potion herculean en…"

"Five item from Gryffindor Miss Granger."Snape said without turning."The even up result thrower ... Was ‘ draft of living expiry sir'. Another ten points from Gryffindor."Snape swept off leaving Harry glowering at his back.

"That wasn't fair."Said Ron, turning from the tabular array in strawman that he shared with Neville."He can't take full stop if you get the right answer."

"fountainhead you were a bit cheeky to leave off the Sir."Hermione said primly and folded her arms. Behind her on her table Lavender Brown ( not a toader but a supporter of Padma and Annapurna. Harry had promised to learn her to juggle once and was now trying to find out a way to wiggle out of it ) rolled her eyes."But it shouldn't have been ten degree, maybe five."

"Harry do you retrieve which of us it was that asked her thought ?"Ron said glibly.

"Can't recollection Ron. Why would one of us do something like that ?"Harry replied grinning and Hermione turned back quickly and looked down as if absorbed in her notebook computer. Ron did a silent laughter and turned back to his desk but Harry leaned back and bit his lip thoughtfully. He'd just insulted, without aggravation, individual who had stood up for him. He tried to remember of something funny to say that would cook Hermione laugh and realised he didn't know anything she'd like. A moment later Snape swooped back past and the chance for talk of the town was over.

While failing to get his potion Harry thought carefully, Hermione didn't go around with anyone, she didn't sit with the Saami people in any two socio-economic class, he'd never seen her talking in the common room with anyone. In fact, the only when metre he'd seen her out of division was when he took books out of the library, then she was always there, with her head deep in progressively thicker books.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have friends."Thought Harry while crushing porcupine quills."She could know masses in early days from before she came here."

"She's muggle-born."Another component of his brain said"How would she already have friends at a champion school."

"Oh…"Harry looked over at Hermione and Lavender, only talking to cite the program line on the board and at former sentence Hermione was craned over her ledger and Lavender over hers.

"She really doesn't… and you snubbed her…"Harry was serenity until the end of the object lesson. He didn't want to spill. When you find out something you don't much like about yourself the conclusion thing you want to do is babble out about it.

*

Harry tried to talk to Hermione several times over the next few workweek but she always just ignored him or ran off. Worse, Padma and Anapurna had told him she had taken to crying in the girls toilets during suspension and after lessons.

"Maybe you could do something."Harry pointed out during a later September evening after a particularly successful antic of some fifth year Slytherins"You sleep in the same bloody elbow room. Surely you talk to her."

"She doesn't talk of the town to us."Parvati explained"Always has a book or homework or something out and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"She's all right if you ask her about homework of ask service with something."Padma carried on."But for anything else she just doesn't want to know."

"Why do you worry anyway ?"Ron asked him pointedly."If she wanted people to like her she wouldn't be so stuck up. If she keeps pushing people away it's probably because she doesn't want friends."Parvati and Padma nodded sadly but Neville ( quiet on the sidelines as always ) gave a small shake of his head. solitariness was wanton to realize from experience than from observation.

"No reason really, it's just we've got to survive with the rest of our year for the adjacent seven year and that'll be soft if were at to the lowest degree on speakin'terminus with them."The others seemed to accept this overtone explanation. The truth of the matter was Harry didn't want to see anybody lonely either.

*

Harry decided to try a more aim approach. The next day, after lesson but before dinner party, Harry went down to the library and approached the now familiar deal of a batch of al-Qur'an and Hermione. He pulled up a chair and sat about a third of the way around the table from her.

"aspect like you beat me here."Harry said without provoking a reaction."Last copy."He added, pointing to a random book near her elbow. Without looking or speaking Hermione pushed the record to him then got up and walked to another table. Harry sighed and followed her.

"Look, you can't keep back going like this forever. human race need to mouth to early humans or they go crazy."Harry twirled a finger near his ear and let his eyes go cut across."Anyway don't you…"

"No I don't !"Hermione slammed the Word of God shut and looked at him angrily. He saw red around her eyes."And if you don't mind I'm doing a exceptional project for prof Flitwick and it's in tomorrow. Some people care about school."And with that she darted to yet a third table and sat with her back to him. After a moment he saw her shoulders begin to excite with sobs.



Harry stood there for a moment impression worthless then turned and walked out of the library. But that wasn't the last he'd see of Hermione that day, a little later when Harry was on a investigative mission ("I swear foumart keeps a spare key in one of the janitors closets."Ron had said. Harry had agreed to depend into it without realising how very many janitors water closet there were and what unpleasant smells inhabited them ) he passed a doorway to an disused classroom and heard voice inside.

"fall in it back !"Hermione's vocalism ?"You arrogant snake ! give way it back !"

"Oh ? And why exactly should I ?"Hermione and Malfoy ? Harry's manus moved toward the door-handle."I just want to ingest a read."The handle turned but the doorway didn't out-of-doors. Harry groaned as he realised this was one of the weird room access. He tried the handle again more gently, then tried stroking it and humming to it. Inside the conversation had become more heated.

"Give it back you foul, loathsome affair !"

"Crabbe, Goyle, hold the filthy mudblood away from me. I'm trying to read."Stroking the door, kicking the threshold, poking the door… come on threshold ! You can get word what's happening in there the same as I can !

"What an occupy text file mudblood. Flitwick would cause been astounded with it. Probably would induce earned you a few house spot eh ? Except you won't be able to render it to him. undependable as you mudbloods are, saying you'll do something then not having even a bingle flat solid to hired man in. Terrible."Harry heard sobs from interior and redoubled his efforts at the door. Was n't there a spell called allohamora ? Harry flicked his sceptre out and tried to stray it. Nothing happened. He tried again. zilch. Oh damnit ! This was n't one of the threshold that would n't open ! This was one of the paries that look like a door. Harry peered through the keyhole to try to see another room access. Malfoy was holding up the document for Hermione to see and said,

"Then I'll say ‘ Oh prof, if you wanted someone to write up that you should've asked me. I've been researching it. Just in my spare metre of course. Thanks for the house points mudblood."Harry heard another door open then close and ran in the direction of the speech sound. Malfoy and his minions were already out of sight so Harry quietly opened the doorway and went in. Hermione was slumped in a pile in the heart of the storey. He approached carefully and tried to think of something to say.

"Um Hermione…"She looked up then scowled when the saw him."You could tell Flitwick, state him what happened. If Malfoy's really gon na keep it then all they have to do is find it on him and…"he got no further.

"Shut up ! You're as bad as he is ! Breaking rules and playing buffoonery ! You can't talk !"Hermione ran out of the room leaving Harry speechless. Harry stood for the foresighted fourth dimension in the center of the defect classroom before walking slowly back to the Gryffindor common way. The marauder stopped talking when they saw his face, a mix of wrath and pain in the ass. They all looked to him as he sat down.

"Forget all the other plans."Harry's voice was grave-quiet but his centre had a wicked gleam."We're breaking in the Slytherin common elbow room. Tonight."The objections washed over him from the others ; they weren't ready, they hadn't planned, tomorrow was Hallowe'en and they needed to be rested for the party and virtually of all they could run into Snape. Harry sighed inwardly and began to tell the wax story as quickly as he could. It was already getting dark, and they had places to be…





Authers note
Hi, thought i should provide an note eventually. brush up if you have clock time, this is my first fiction so delight feel unloose to state me how auful it is.



"We're going to be caught. We're going to be caught !"

"Of course of action we'll be caught if you don't shut up Neville !"Padma held her hand over Neville's sassing and pulled him further into the closet. Harry waved them both to outride still and peered back out through the keyhole. Filches lantern glow was far up the corridor but he waited a proficient count of XXX before pushing the threshold open and leading the others out. In the end the choices for his associate were simple, he couldn't take to a greater extent than two or they'd be seen for sure and they needed some people to detain in the coarse way to guarantee for them if interrogative sentence were asked. The others had reluctantly agreed and then it became a matter of who was going. Despite Neville's own arguments Harry insisted he was the perfect scout.

"You get lost so much if person finds you out of place you can just say you were looking for the common elbow room. And anyone but Snape'll probably let you off."

As for Padma, she was the only if one who could reliably find the Slytherin dungeon since she had been in explosive charge of that peculiar piece of recognisance and after all, she had been the one to find out the word. Harry had been incredibly impressed until she revealed that she had just gone up and asked Goyle.

"I just asked him straight out."She had explained while Harry's face slowly lost its amazement."It had to be Goyle though, Crabbe's too bright to be fooled by that sort of thing."It had actually taken Harry quite a farseeing clip to gain she was joking.

The three of them crept down the hold up flight of step and Padma silently pointed to a monotonic man of wall ahead. Harry nodded and he and Padma moved on while Neville got his scepter out and pushed himself deep into an alcove behind some armor. Harry gestured back at him and got out his wand.

"Mico Neville"Harry muttered, sending the sign, and having his own sceptre vibrate as a reply. It was the best way to broadcast signals, the person had to be within ten or so time but it was virtually silent. Harry crept towards the rampart and stepped aside so that Padma could commit the Password.

"Ophiophagus"The rampart dissolved from the centre and revealed the doorway.

"Anticlimax."Muttered Harry, surprised that the entrance to the Slytherin room should be so unnoticeable."Expected fireworks."Harry moved into the darkness within and felt Padma following him.

It was disconsolate but not huckster. A few dying embers in the huge marble fireplace gave an ominous glow. All the furniture was large and dark, and in the bad luminance it looked oddly threaten, looming like cliff above the creeping small fry. Padma tugged at Harrys robe and as he looked back she waved her mitt in front of her center and shook her head. She couldn't see. Harry knew his eyes were good by dark and he kept forgetting the rest of his clan didn't share the benefits of his previous, self-governing modus vivendi. Harry guided her to a wall and put her behind a wall hanging, sitting near a large urn unpleasantly decorated to resemble a screaming typeface. Harry placed Padma's scepter in her hand and looked at her face before leaving. She was wearing a determined grammatical construction but her eyes were blanket and she was breathing hard.

"No shame to game out."Harry whispered in her ear, for the first time having doubts about tonight's venture."I did kinda throw everyone in at the deeply end today."

"I'm staying."Padma's voice as barely more than a whisper."I chose Gryffindor didn't I ? I'd better set forth earning it."And with that she pulled back into the alcove.

"She said she chose her house too."Harry thought as he headed towards the Bedrooms."Perhaps there's more to the sorting than brave, cunning or whatever. Perhaps its not what you are…"Harry's judgement kept considering as he slipped into the stairwell."It's what you want to be…"

*

Harry had to chuckle as his fingers found a doorknob in the iniquity. What he had thought would be the heavily part had turned out to be the easiest. They had debated for eld how to discover out which way was Malfoy's, from bribing someone to covering his shoe with ultraviolet light ink but it had been all for aught. Harry checked the brass nameplate on the door and chuckled again before moving into the way. Like a wraith, Harry tried not to even think loudly. Like a trace, here then gone, no trace. The room was large for a single someone room, larger even than the one in Gryffindor tower he shared with four early people.

"Can't make precious pet Malfoy share a room."Harry sneered in the dark. If there had been a way to silently trash the seat he would have done so, instead he began looking around for the projection. He slid his hands onto shelves and held paper up in the moonlight to interpret the covers. The only prison term he stopped was when he was searching by Malfoy's bed and saw something on the covers. He'd had to duplicate up to maintain from laughing and he'd felt like every vein would burst. Malfoy had taken his teddy to schooltime with him.

Harry could see a clock on the mantle, the mitt glowing faintly in the nighttime and saw that he didn't have much clock time left. For a moment he stopped looking and just stood in the swarthiness to remember. There was no way he could search the whole berth, not going as slowly as he had to to avoid detection.

"The hat said I think like them."Harry shuddered at the thought but pushed on, no time for self-recrimination."And Hermione said I'm just like him. So where would I hide it ? Where would I intrust to be safe enough…"Statues moved more than Harry in the long here and now of the night.

"Nowhere. I wouldn't put it anywhere because I wouldn't combine it enough. I'd sustain it with me from the moment I got it till the second I let it leave my hands."Harry's gaze shifted to the prone frame on the bed."Under the pillow ? No, not that obvious. In his pocket ? If it's there then I'm screwed so…Where else… No where. This line of persuasion has got me no-where and clock time is running out."Harry threw up his work force in thwarting and at that moment felt something in his air hole vibrate. He brought his wand out to feel the shaking in his hands.

*

awe wasn't what he needed now, neither was a mad dah. Running now was the last thing he wanted to do… Just creep back through the door and go quietly down the stairs. Down the stairs to where there's a light on. Harry crouched at the top of the stairwell and shielded his center to preserve his Night vision before sliding a flyspeck periscope between the banisters ("Do you conduct hale toyshops around in you're pockets ?"Parvati had said when he showed them some of his prick like the periscope."You never know when this stuff'll come in handy."Harry winked and twirled a lock pick between his fingers. ) The midget mirror-pipe revealed a belittled cluster of fifth years who looked like they had just come in. They began talking loudly about some intelligence or other and Harry carefully slid back from the edge. Now what ? He didn't have the task, and his way out was now blocked. fudge factor, his and Padmas mode out were now blocked. Harry slid back to the edge, the Slytherins seemed to be settling down for a Night of strident behaviour as they lounged in the with child chairs with a bottle of something, probably stolen from the kitchens. If they were distracted ? If Harry waited until they simply booze themselves into a stupor ? Perhaps they'd go to bed soon ? Harry cursed as he saw one of them detach themselves from the radical and weave falteringly towards the stairs.

"What the hell was he gona do now ?"Harry's brainiac worked quickly"Run back, hide in a… oh no don't !"Harry watched as Padma slipped out of her hiding place holding the grip of the titan urn.



"spinal column in !"Harry mouthed, abandoning the periscope and sticking his head between the balusters."Before they see you."She shook her head stubbornly and raised the pot above her head.

"She's making a misdirection !"Harry cursed"Stupid ! Stupid ! I told them ‘ no nobility during heists !'” Harry at to the lowest degree had the presence of mind to wrap up his scarf around his face and trademark frontal bone before standing up and yelling…

"Oh no they're awake !"Harry gestured at imaginary image in the empty hallway behind him"Go ! Run !"Harry had prison term to see the boozy ophidian take in his red and gold edged robes and clamber over each other towards the stairs before he took his own advice and ran back down the hall.

It takes quite some ability to run quietly but Harry had experience, his footfalls were light as mice on the floorboards. He turned and saw a familiar door. Switching himself from quiet-running-mode to bloody-silent-creep he slid into Malfoy's way and shut the door.

"People chasing you expect you to run away, especially if there's a lot of them. They don't expect you to go to ground."Harry spoke the Word in his heading, hoping that would make them true.

"Start searching the way !"Ach… Harry desperately looked around the room for a place to cover but to his alarm saw only darkness. He had lost his night eyes in the commons room.

"What was here ? Where did I search ? Oh my god, delight just remember !"The rattling door handles and irritated voices got closer, thank nirvana Salazar Slytherin built his walls thick and like oak room access or Harry was sure Malfoy would ingest woken.

"wardrobe ? It had had glass in the nominal head ! Under the bed ? No elbow room !"Harry's thoughts grew panicked as the voices got closer."rampart, trading floor, ceiling, bed, desk, wardrobe, fireplace…"Harry dropped to his hands and knees and crawled across the floor as fast as he dared. He was sure he was making noise now but he didn't have the boldness left to go any slower. His men reached the cold stone of the open fireplace and he felt his way into it. No ashes at all, the fireplace had never been used. Later on that Nox Harry would understand that the Slytherins probably heated their bedchamber by magic so they didn't get the weed and gained a more even heat, all he thought at the fourth dimension was a panicked…

"Thank you !"as he stood up. His hands found a bar embedded in the wall to hang bay window from and he lifted himself up and stood on it. At that moment light flooded in from below. Harry could see that his infantry were only a few inches from the top of the fireplace and hoped fervently there was no one too suddenly in the search party.

"What do you believe you're doing !"Harry heard Malfoy cry out indignantly."Why are you barging into my room in the middle of the Nox Flint ?"

"Yes Malfoy."Harry thought to himself"trade good Malfoy. Now be you're lilliputian stuck up, outraged self and throw them out of your room."

"There's somebody sneaking around in the rooms."The representative sounded like the speaker was gargling crushed rock."We thought he might experience come in here."

"No I been in here you idiot ! If they had don't you think I would have woken up ?"

"Nope."Harry chucked as his affright began to pass off."And you're the cretin Malfoy. You should pay Thomas More attention to your gravely pal."

"He's not in any of the other rooms."A new voice, possibly younger and more hesitant than the gravely boy."And we checked the lav and back down in the park room."Harry hoped Padma had had the brains to be well on her way back to their common room by then, and to have Neville with her. Harry's hand brushed something in the wall behind him, careful not to make a sound he slid it out of the wall and choked back a triumphant pant as he read the lettering on the screening of the parchment.


The use of modified static-induction appealingness in

the context of adhesive and fasteners.

Hermione sodbuster

"Yes !"thought process part of Harry's mind."I'm still born prosperous ! This is what I came here for."…"This is what I came here for ?"Said another percentage in unbelief"adhesives and fastener ?"Harry shook his head and laughed at himself a bit before folding up the report and slipping it into his robe. Back in the bedroom the conversation had become more heated.

"When my Church Father hears about this !"Malfoy was in fully argumentative golf shot"You will all be regretful ! The Malfoy family own your father Flint ! And you can be sure there will be words on the theme of this incident."

"I'm sorry Dra… Mr Malfoy."The early boy was obviously aged but the fear was plain in his voice.

"You know."Malfoy's representative was more sly now"You know how you could arrive at it up to me."

"But low gear years… never… go on the team. No matter how, absolutely, brilliant they are at Quidditch."The old boy was obviously fearing some reprisal to boot-lick so obviously."Definitely next year though !"

"That remains to be seen…"A new part, a slimy articulation, a voice dripping contempt with every give-and-take !

"Ah"Thought Harry as his gut clenched up"There's that panic again."professor Snape continued talking in the room.

"Tell me why some of the leading penis of Slytherin sign of the zodiac are awake at this minute ? Hmm… Some of them stinking of brassy wine-coloured !"He almost made the fact that it was cheap sound like the worst part."Well ? Or have you all been rendered mute by drink !"

"We were chasing someone !"Flint said shakily"somebody was sneaking around in here !"

"Inside the Slytherin uncouth room ?"

"Yes."

"Inside the countersign protected Slytherin coarse elbow room ?"

"Yes !"Flint was frantic but Snape just snorted.

"Lunacy. All you saw was the wine floating in front of your heart seeing as you seem to have drown yourselves in it !"Harry heard Snape's footstep head towards the door.

"There was individual ! They were wearing Gryffindor robes !"The footsteps continued and Harry heard a door open"And they were curtly !"The steps led out the door"And they had a scarf joint around their head !"steps then…

"WHAT !"Snape thundered back into the room."They wore cloth around their heading ? !"

"Yes ! So we couldn't see their face I'll bet !"

"Don't be stupid, he could hold in his identity better than that."Snape seemed to be talking to himself slightly at that point but then…"hunting everywhere ! Every room, grow them upside down and shake them if requirement !"Harry's heart leapt into his throat and he looked around wildly for a way out. But he already knew the sole ways, down or up. Harry pushed his back against one wall and carefully shifted his feet onto the contrary one. Hogwarts was old gemstone and there were fortune of handholds to help him chimney up faster, and more quietly. But just as he was thinking he had reached beyond their listening someone said.

"What was that in the chimney ?"Bloody Malfoy ! Since when did snakes have such good ear ? Harry went absolutely still except for his sassing moving in a soundless jinx."I heard something !"Harry looked down and was met by a relieving sight. The chimney curved as it went up, He could no longer see the circle of visible light at the bottom.

"I can't see anything."Flint again, thank heavens for small minds.



"Move over."Harry heard a clunk as Snape pushed his student out of the way then…"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry's sentiment was momentarily lighted as streaks of unwell silver lighting shot up the chimney towards him then his sight was lost in pain. Harry's foundation slipped but he grimly held on by his handholds, gritting his dentition against the stabbing knots of pain each fizgig had left in him.

"I heard scraping prof !"Malfoy must take in heard his kick gaucherie."Something's up there !"

"Acerbus cuspis !"This time Harry was flattened against the bulwark and only a few of the dash hit him."Conjunctivitis !"that spell winged mightily past him, cracking chips off the wall above him, then…"Relashio !"Heat flooded up the chimney to him and Harry's skin felt like it was going to whip. He bit his glossa between his teeth and pulled one sweaty hand off the wall so he could bodge in pocket for a declamatory metal jar. At the meter Harry had thought Ron's suggestion had been a bit stupid but now he was especially gladiola he had agreed to convey the jar along. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and dropped the contents before they had a probability to sting him, far below he heard…

"Aaaa ! Doxies !"A few more than spells rang out but none directed at Harry, even the heat stopped, allowing Harry to put his human foot back against the bulwark and give his aching arms a relief. Below him he heard Snape yell out

"Search the other rooms."Harry waited a prospicient clock time before climbing further up. His arms needed the rest anyway and there was no way he was gon na try to sneak back out through the Slytherins tonight.

*

The light below was lost behind Harry as he ascended out of the dungeons. The chimney he was climbing joined others then split again. One or two of the lamp chimney had ravel in them, or at least parts of ladders, but most of them he had to clamber up. The air was hotter and Smokey here, perhaps some of these chimneys were still in use this latterly, or more likely it was early enough that the kitchens had woken up. Harry would be the offset to admit ( to himself at least ) that he had many fears but claustrophobia wasn't one of them. He pulled his scarf tighter above and below his ice to keep out smut and around his mouth to breath through as he climbed up into more used chimney. Harry felt himself displace out into a larger area but couldn't see the wall through the night and the smoke. Questing finger found a corrode ladder and a few moments later Harry pulled himself over the brink of a huge lamp chimney and let himself down to the rooftop below.

Tired but elated Harry pulled his scarf from around his look and tried to see some clean fabric somewhere on himself to wipe his methamphetamine hydrochloride off. When he put them back on he was struck dumb for a moment by the ken that met his eyes.

Rolling Benny Hill of roofing tile and banks of slate. Towers popping out at angles and fairy balconies with balustrade like lacing. Harry walked along the roof ridge he had landed on in curiosity, there was a totally creation up above Hogwarts. Sir Thomas More chimney jutted out everywhere, some just pipe and some, like the one he'd emerged from, with width like industrial tower. Harry sat down on the ridgepole and shook his caput in skepticism. Even the climb hadn't taken his breath like this did. He lay back and beheld another wonder. The stars from here seemed brighter, almost as unspoiled as the astronomy tugboat ( Harry's favored lesson, just as an self-justification to stargaze ).

"And no-one up here but me."Harry said out loud, there was no one to hear."Peace."Harry could have fallen asleep against those tile but something moving below caught his eye. Snape, passing along a corridor with tall Windows all along it. Harry moved to obliterate then realised his sooty-black robes blended perfectly against the night sky and wrapped his scarf around his face to cover the last pink skin. His meth were still grubby enough not to shine.

Harry trailed Snape over the ceiling, not even for a moment thinking of going back to the Gryffindor rooms and thinking even less of the danger. Here on the cap he was in his element, there was no danger here. Snape stopped at what looked like a teachers twenty-five percent and pushed through the room access without knocking. It took Harry a bit or so to find the corresponding windowpane then lowered himself down near it. By luck or the sleeper goby habit it was ajar. When Harry moved closer he heard ...

"D…on't know what you're talking about Severus. I've been asleep he…here the wh…ole time."Quirrell ? Snape had gone to Quirrell ?

"What whole sentence ? How do you even know when this happened ?"Snape's spokesperson was raging and accusing."The solely fact that keeps me from cursing you into dark oblivion right now is that I can't quite bring myself to cerebrate that even one so pathetic as you would be dolt enough to think it was moved to the Slytherin keep of all places."

"Th…Then why are you here ?"Quirrell's spokesperson grew a little steadier now, just a piffling."Why ejaculate to me ?"

"Because perhaps you were looking for something else, perhaps a way past my protection of it or some hint as to what that protection is. I assure you, you would have found neither. My study is as demonic as it is complex and as crafty…"Harry groaned inwardly, not this talk again."And you could never pierce it. Never. Despite Dumbledore's supreme want of judgement in hiring you and letting you assist in the tribute of the endocarp I will keep wretched things like you from it !"With that Snape turned and stamped out of the room. Harry was about to depart when Quirrell quietly spoke.

"He, suspects something master. We can not do it tomorrow."

Harry waited but that seemed like all Quirrell felt like saying. Harry left over the rooftops and mulled over what he had heard as he scrambled towards Gryffindor tower.

"Do it tomorrow ? Do what tomorrow ? What's so special about tomorrow ? Other than it being Halloween ..."

*

"How could you leave him there !"Ron was still yelling despite all attempts to calm him down. Parvati grabbed him and clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Thank you."Padma breathed and shared a quick smile with her sister. But she quickly fell silent again. If she was to be honest with herself she would have to say she was ashamed. Ashamed that when Harry had stood up on the stairway she had instantly realised what he was trying to do ( having been about to do the same herself ) and had for a moment not known quite what to do. She was ashamed that after she had taken an age behind the curtain working up cheek and steeling herself to provide a distraction and Harry had done the Saami in an instant. She was ashamed that, when she heard people coming back towards the commons room, she had bolted back though the door, pulled an astonished Neville from behind the armour and had shepherded him across the school, not once talking until they passed behind the fat madam and got back to Gryffindor vulgar elbow room and into the awaiting and recriminating stare of Ron Weasly.

"What will materialise now."Neville's voice was low and he was hunched in on himself on his chair. But even he had been braver than her, he had signalled the Slytherins coming and had waited once they had passed to carry on keeping watch.

"He'll probably just get detention, he'll mislay us a few house item for being out after curfew."Padma knew her sister was deliberately making affair seem undecomposed than they were to induce her smell better. Sometimes Padma thought they had been born to with personality opposites, the eternal optimist and the cynical pessimist. Except this time her sister wasn't just being affirmative. And neither was she just being pessimistic when she said…

"But he could be expelled."The others went silent and looked down. They had all been thinking it."For breaking into another mansion. For attempted theft. He could be expelled."She had got Harry Potter expelled from Hogwarts because she wasn't brave enough. She knew when the hat had left it up to her she would chose wrongly. She didn't deserve to be here."In Harry's commencement term he'll be expelled."

"I'm doing what now ?"

The New vulture turned en people and saw a blackened and scraped Harry fall from one of the high windows. His face was red and raw and he had a ugly bruise on his left impudence, his mitt were bleeding and he staggered as he hit the ground but he wore a smile of joy and triumph as wide as they had ever seen on him.

"girl me ?"Harry's stumble became a swagger as he approached them."I wasn't gone that long. Although of course, in the party of Slytherins it seemed a great deal longer."

"How did you…"Padma's interpreter breathed skepticism into the air."They were right behind you."

"Chimney."Harry said lightly."Easy climb really once you get past the first bit. Oh and one other thing…"Harry fished around in his pockets and drew out some written document. Padma found herself shaking her point, no, not after all that happened, you can't still have got it, no one that good."We got what we came for. It may need some cleanup though…"With that the water gate came loose and the piranha began peppering Harry with questions. The strange child laughed as he unrolled a storey that had them gasping. As she listened Padma realised she was glad she'd made her choice, even if she wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor she wouldn't give up the Marauders for the public. And besides, she thought as the looked at her baby, at Ron, at Neville and especially at the carbon black clothed figure animatedly talking before her, even if I'm not weather now I'll be learning from the best.

*

Hermione rose ahead of time from her canvass and was mildly surprise to see that they weren't covered in tears. She was sure she'd been crying when she went to catch some Z's. She dressed mechanically and didn't lecture to anyone as she made her way down to breakfast. Not that that was unusual she conceded to herself but today especially she didn't want to babble out. That thought only made her hunch in promote over her nutrient. Before anyone else had left the tabular array Hermione walked out of the smashing Granville Stanley Hall, leaving the rest of her food behind ( even if she hadn't had somewhere to be she felt too sickening to eat ). The project was important, it was the sort of matter they gave one-third and fourth years to work on. Hermione straightened herself up as she walked towards Flitwicks office. honorable get it over with…

"Going somewhere Mudblood ?"Dragon Malfoy lounged in the corridor in front end of her. She ignored him and walked on past only to have him get his foot forward to try to trip her up."What ? No vilification ? No ‘ Give it back !'today ?"Hermione kept walking."Oh, I don't have it with me. That would be a bit blazing, I figure I'll give it to him tomorrow. Or the day after, you know, so he doesn't get shady but is still impressed by my obviously superior talents."Draco grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around."Don't ignore me Mudblood !"He grated,"This is only the first degree. I'm going to do lifetime hell for you and all the other filth at the schoolhouse until you'll drop out of your own free people will. I'll… Oh howdy Professor !"prof Flitwick had just emerged from his room and was looking between them.

"Hello young Mr Malfoy."He chirped"Are you and Miss husbandman friends."

"We were just discussing the charms assignment you gave her."Draco turned to her with an evil smirk."It's a issue I myself find very interesting."

"Then perhaps I should let you read misfire Grangers report. It was most detailed."

"What !"Malfoy's voice rose an octave. Hermione would have laughed if she hadn't been so shocked.

"Yes, left on my desk this morning. I flicked through it over breakfast. I used to read the daily seer of a daybreak but there's so many advertisement in it now."The professor shook his foreland and didn't appear to notice the totally dumbstruck expression on the two first-years faces."I'll give you meliorate feedback when I've read it fully girl husbandman and then…"Flitwick turned to Malfoy"…I'll be sure to make it to you."With that the shortly fellow wandered off humming faintly to himself.

"How."Malfoy had anger and daze in his oculus."You didn't have other copies. You said you didn't have former copy !"

"I didn't."Hermione was surprised at the trace of smugness in her voice. Malfoy was looking at her with barely suppressed rage. Then he seemed to point out something and for a mo his eyes widened in actualisation then screwed up in even darker anger than before. Then Hermione realised he wasn't looking at her with such hatred, he was looking behind her. She turned and looked back down the corridor. And there stood the piranha. Tired and resplendent, staring Malfoy down with five Cheshire-cat smiles. The Slytherin looked like he was about to blow a vein, or possibly shoot steam out of his ears.

"YOU ! ! !"He bellowed striding towards them pointing with his wand."It was you !"Harry and his acquaintance stood their flat coat against the charge and Malfoy was brought to a standstill, it was that or walk into a homo wall."You stole it ! When I tell my father he'll bring it to the schoolhouse governors and…"

"Tell them what worm."Harry's voice was full of laughter.

"That we cunningly and evilly broke into your suite and stole something awfully precious from your rooms ?"Anapurna said in a spokesperson like she was talking to a child. She leaned forward."Admit that we stole something that you stole yourself !"

"Even if you were will to take a tumble just to put us in trouble."Ron continued to a suddenly crestfallen Malfoy."Even if you did, where's the test copy ? The reports right back where it should be and nothing else was taken from your rooms."

"Not even a chemise bear."Harry raised his eyebrow and began chuckling. After a moment the eternal sleep of his gang began laughing as well. Malfoy turned and stalked away against a backdrop of hysterical laugh. Hermione was surprised to she was laughing too. At the end of the corridor Malfoy turned back and yelled…

"You win this cycle Potter ! But I'll get you next time !"

"I look forward to it."Harry said between wheezes."You can show me the rest of your stuffed animal collection."

*

The unfortunate by-product of the armed robbery was that Malfoy was even to a greater extent acidic than common in form that day. Despite double monition from teachers he insulted Harry and the rest of the predator with every other breath. Fortunately though that breath was wasted as nine clip out of ten the Marauder in question was asleep on their chair. Hermione sighed, but not unhappily and reached for a new calamus. She'd better make these greenback good, it looked like they'd have to be copied from a few times. When she reached the unwashed room there was a sixth chair by the fireside table. She smiled and felt warm interior for the first time in what seemed corresponding forever and walked over to sit down with her friends.


I own zero, certainly zip Harry potter related.

Seriously, i 'm not kidding ! Do I appear fertile than the queen ?



"Go on !"

"No ! I can't !"

"Go for it ! You've come this far."

"He'll see me !"Hermione glanced over the bannister to where Snape was berating Ron and Neville for ‘ fighting'in the corridor. What the male child had in fact been doing was distracting Snape so he would come and stand under the overhanging upper story. That part of the plan had gone perfectly. The next component was proving problematic.

"Just pick it up and tip it on his head."Harry spoke slowly pointing first to the bucket of cooking oil ( a few part of burnt wimp were still floating in it ) standing between them then down to the potions passkey."Then we run like hell."

"You're all weirdo ! Any one of the stunts you've pulled could warrant riddance ! How long do you believe you can keep getting away with it ?"Hermione's whisper was tempestuous and gymnastic horse."And if you think"She pointed at his head"I'm tipping that"A gesture at the grease"over a Hogwarts instructor !"a finger stabbing down at Snape"You must be dotty !"She swung her arms widely in exasperation and they both heard a thump, then a splashing noise.

Harry saw his admirer face turn from righteous ire to grey dread fast as a striking match. She kept her heart firmly ahead and, as if denying what had just happened, shook her head. Harry in demarcation had grinned like a maniac and now grabbed Hermione by the robe and began running off through the corridors pulling her after him. A moment later they heard a violent thunder behind them

"WHO DID THIS TO ME !"Harry suddenly found himself as the being pulled along as Hermione outdistanced him."THE pupil WHO DID THIS WILL PAY WITH PAIN !"Harry pulled Hermione to a stop and dragged her sideways into a picayune apply corridor, with her still dewy-eyed and ashen-faced he pushed her to a pre-opened window.

"ejaculate on ! Just like the architectural plan !"Harry said, then added"Only real !"Hermione almost jumped through the window and disappeared as she clambered up a ladder. Harry swung out after her, shut the window and slid onto the tiles above. He wasted no time in pulling himself back to the edge and poking his periscope back down to the edge of the glass. A secondment later an irate Snape ran past. Harry only caught a glimpse, but he thought the man seemed silky than common. Harry rolled back and looked up at Hermione who still seemed shaken.

"I hope Annapurna and Padma were in place with the television camera. I wouldn't have wanted to possess to do all that again."Hermione's formulation sent Harry into another fit of giggles.

*

A week or so latter the morning bloomed bright and early as the Marauders made their way down to the Mary Jane in forepart of the castle. Harry stopped to brand up a few more scene after making sure the coast was clear. The Slytherins were tearing them down wherever they saw them on Snapes parliamentary procedure but Harry had even seen some of them trying to hide giggles as the wizard poster displayed Snape being doused again and again. The relaxation of the schooling didn't trouble oneself to hide out it and the school day had been awash with laughter ever since the for the first time one went up three days ago.

The teacher were all trying to find who was posting them ( Harry had caught both Flitwick and Sprout laughing when they thought no one was looking and even McGonagall had cracked a smile when an incoherent Snape had burst into her schoolroom brandishing a wad of card that had papered the chief courtyard ). The teacher didn't experience how so many of them were getting so many places around the land. Harry knew, it was just a matter of a handy rooftop and a adopt malarkey. When he had seen some errant pic carried into the sky by blow he had idly wondered just how far they'd go.

Hagrid too had been roped into removing them but when Harry went down to his hut to see him the giant man had laughed and handed a stack of bill back to him.

"They told me I had to submit ‘ em down."Hagrid had said with a flash."They didn't say what I had to do with ‘ em after."Harry had been even happy to see a sight of gasbag on Hagrid's table. It looked like the distribution was going to even spacious than he thought.

The teachers search and Madam Hooch's earlier ill health were some of the reasons they were going to their kickoff flying lesson bundled up in winter clothes.

"Now…"Madam hooch's part rang out over the assembled Gryffindors and Slytherins"Just raise your right hand over the broom and yell UP ! Just like this… UP !"Her heather leapt obediently into her hand, Harry noted that it was varnished and looked a lot unexampled than the single the bookman had."Well go on…"

The social class obediently placed their script over their brooms.

"UP !"Harry yelled, feeling a bit dopy, the pin by his animal foot refused to stir."UP !"Harry looked around and saw first one then others of the class acquire their brooms."UP !"Harry thought maybe Malfoy had replaced his magic ling for a real broom in revenge but the matter had been handed out randomly. Harry shifted his substructure surreptitiously underneath his ling and tensed ..."UP !"Harry grabbed the rising heather and held it nonchalantly on his articulatio humeri. He caught Parvati looking at him and giggling.

"What ? I didn't do anything."

"That's right you didn't !"

A few moments later everyone had their brooms and Madam Hooch was showing them how to grip the stupid things.

"right hand, now… Just recoil off from the basis, hover for me for a indorsement then leeee…an forward and float back down again."lady Hooch demonstrated then held up her gloved handwriting."Three… Two… One."lot of the class rose unsteadily into the air, others remained undercoat or had slipped off their rising brooms. Harry glanced to his sides shame-faced as his heather resolutely refused to demonstrate any characteristic beyond long, wooden and bristly. Harry motioned towards Ron who was dropping down smoothly beside him and held out his broom.

"Let me try with yours."

"No, I don't want the dud broom !"Ron strafed out of reach to the incline with a practiced hand before coming to take a breather."Take Neville's."

Harry turned and saw Neville rising at a snail pace with a looking at of teeth-gritting absorption."At that pace the social class'll be over before he gets down."Harry turned back"Come on, I just want to see whether Malfoy really has screwed this broom."

"Only sinewy illusion can interfere with most broomsticks."Hermione was landing ungracefully beside him, gripping the broom with white knuckle. Harry chuckled at the thought that she still found concentration left to lecture them."These are old brooms but their still fairly resistant to that kind of thing."

"This isn't colored trick I'm talking about its him swapping it with a normal broom."Harry poked at the bristles trying to educe some reaction."Why don't you lend me yours then, you don't look like your in a hurriedness to fly again."

"And what is that supposed to mean !"But Ron cut off any ensuing contestation

"Oh fine…"He held out his Scots heather."Just give way it a shot if you have to."

"Thanks."They swapped broom and Harry got himself back into the demo horseback riding placement. He hopped off the primer but dropped back down just as quickly.

"Still having trouble ?"Harry saw Ron ice-cream float over his forefront and drop down in strawman of him,"null wrong with this one mate."Ron knocked his knuckle duster against the wood of Harry's broom."I think its even a footling better than my one."

"In that case give it back."As Ron laughed Harry held up his broom"Or I'll show you the other way to use one of these !"

"Having trouble Potter."no… not now…"Your flying's so wretched even the weasel here can beat you and that's saying something."Malfoy floated along in front end of Harry, sitting side-saddle and not even bothering to hold on."Didn't your father ever teach you to fly… Oh no wait I forgot ! He's a bit too mouldy to sit on a Scots heather now !"The commentary about his parents washed over Harry but the other vilification bit and he sneered at the white-hot haired kid in front line of him. Ron however erupted."What do you mean that's saying something !"He was back on his broom in a trice and whipped himself around Malfoy so fast the Slytherins robes billowed in the nothingness."one-half of my family's been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team !"

"As if that's saying anything."Malfoy shot back but he had had to grip his Scots heather in the crosswind and was now sitting normally, staring Ron down."Gryffindor haven't won the cup in years. Being on a team of losers is no accolade weasel."

"Yeah, they haven't won since my brother Charlie left !"Ron's tirade had began to draw aid and gentlewoman Hooch was walking over. Harry tried to enamour Ron's eye but failed."Best seeker in a decennium ! He coulda'played for Engl…."

"Mr Weasly ! Mr Malfoy ! Decend at once !"ma'am Hooch didn't wait for them to react and instead grabbed the fronts of their Calluna vulgaris and yanked them to the floor. Ron fell in a muckle, Malfoy kept his remainder but only barely."I will receive no arguments in my class and I distinctly told you to rise then drop, not hover like blow fly !"The flying teacher spun and walked back to the rest of the class leaving Malfoy and Ron glaring at one another.

Harry shifted his broom under himself, all during the line he'd tried to rise up and join his booster but the broom had refused to be active. By the end of the lesson he'd vaporize once, a few wobbling feet followed by a tot up prostration into the grass. Malfoy had laughed forged than before and Harry said some things that lost them firm tip ("An XI year old shouldn't know those words Mr Potter, much less know what they mean !") and the marauder were a muted lot that ascended the stairs to Gryffindor column. Parvati tried to fire up the spirit by pointing out how many students had the drenched Snape card on the bulwark of their rooms and Harry decided to stop moping.

"Right,"Harry cracked open a drink stolen from the kitchen."Down to the severe job. What have you all found out about Quirrell ?"

*

"I still think Snape's your bad guy Harry."Ron tapped his finger on the mesa as if to punctuate himself. Neville, Parvati and Padma all nodded but Hermione snorted dismissively.

"Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you can blame them for anything Ronald."Hermione shook her promontory as if explaining to a child.

"It just doesn't make common sense Ron."Harry continued"Snape may be a git but it doesn't make sense. He thinks Quirrell's trying to steal something, from what I overheard afterwards he probably is. Why would Snape play like he's accusing Quirrell when only Quirrell was in the room ! Also why would Quirrell play like it's him when nobody was in the room !"Harry leafed through some papers again while the others bickered, the daily prophet from a few calendar month ago was there, a maraud at gringots where nothing was taken. Other things too, Quirrels records, researched through old file, an intelligent student, masterful in the theory if not the drill of defence against the dark arts, the last few years of his living spent travelling around dealing with dangerous benighted animal. Harry pushed them away and pulled over a dilutant file, Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts and yearn time envier of the defense team against the wickedness arts situation. There wasn't much else, Snape didn't seem to be a very newsworthy person.

"It's flop there."Ron was taking to him again. Harry pressed his hands to his temples, there's only so much insistence one can take."Snape wants the iniquity arts job and is trying to get Quirrell sacked."Harry was about to explain then stopped, if the last thirty time hadn't done it…

"We're not going to know until we see what's on the third floor."Padma said with a notation of finality."Until then all this is just academic."She waved her hands over the table. Harry silently thanked her, he could always look on her to cut straight through the bull.

"We won't be able to do it."Hermione crossed her arms."Well we won't !"She said to their recriminating stares"I'm not just being… being…"

"Yourself ?"Ron said and earned a boot from Parvati.

"Being strait-laced. I've been looking into it the same as everyone else has which is exactly the full stop. We've all been caught loitering around the one-third floor a few too many times. Did you hear what McGonagall said in class yesterday ?"They all did, she'd basically just repeated what Dumbledore had said at the start of term but she had looked right at them the full time and each Logos had been clipped like little razors."She knows we're preparation something and she probably knows we're behind the posters too, she just slang prove it."

"So ?"

"So, Mr Ronald Weasley they are watching us like war hawk. I'll bet there's a teacher guarding the third floor right now and another just on the early side of that door."She pointed at the other position of the fat noblewoman portrait, from this English looking like a hole in the wall."Even putting aside the notions of detention, house-points and especially expulsion ! We'd never get close enough to the corridor to find anything. It's all your fault really"She continued without a breathing place."If you hadn't done your pointless ruler breaking we might be able-bodied to find out really of import stuff now."That comment was the reason an argument broke out that Harry had to calm down with wit. It was also at least partially the reason Harry stayed awake that night till he was sure Ron and Neville were asleep then got out his darkest apparel and slipped out one of the windowpane before heading in the counseling of the forbid corridor.

*

Harry peered through a windowpane and saw prof Vector idly marking some assignments by the Light of his scepter while sitting on the stair above the fat lady's portrait. Reminding himself to recite Hermione later ( she'd be insufferably smug but she deserved the satisfaction ) Harry slipped away and made his way over to the third trading floor corridor on the compensate hired hand side, or above it at to the lowest degree. The thing was in the centre of the construction, no lamp chimney or window reached it and Harry could only peer through a side window at the thaumaturgist guarding the doorway… Quirrell… Standing in a darn of lumos-light, his shadow jumping as he nervously twiddled his wand in his fingers. Harry slid inside and dropped behind a pillar. Quirrell was guarding it ? He'd been so sure… Maybe the others were properly and Quirrell wasn't attempting theft after all. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten past the defence force Snape mentioned yet. Then why isn't he inside the corridor trying to break through them. Harry's mental monologue was cut short as the solution leaned out of the patch of darkness it had been sequestered in, invisible even to Harry's eye's.

"Nervous Quirrell ?"Snape slid from his shadowy niche, his wand held lightly but readily in his hand."Or perhaps not happy with the company."Harry saw now that it hadn't just been the shadow, Snape's entire eubstance blended into the background, changing vividness like a chameleon. Only his eyes stayed the Saame, black yap even against the lighted grey stone behind him, it made them seem like they were floating above the ground.

"Why ever w…would I be infelicitous Severus."Quirrell was leaning away from the wraith-like form before him."No one near equipped to guard this place than you and I, Eh ?"

"Because if you were distressed with this arrangement."Snape continued like nothing had been said."You'd have to get used to it because I've made sure all our guard duty's occur on the same Night Quirrell, won't that be fun."Snape laced the last parole with such poison Harry was surprised the DADA professor didn't run like a rabbit. Instead he jumped like one and whimpered.

"Y…you truly don't confidence me Severus ?"

"No Quirrell. I do not, have never and will never desire you."Snape slid back into his shadowy niche and once again became virtually inconspicuous. Quirrell swallowed loudly and brightened his scepter, peering into the darkness around.

But Harry was already prepared, while they had been talking he had sneaked around into the elbow room next to the be-turbaned wizard and entered. It was an evacuate schoolroom, desks piled up to the cap. Harry waited near the door as the searchlight beam swept past his office, swinging across the room like passing headlights before moving on. Harry waited patiently. maltreat two was already in motion.

*

Crack…

"What was that !"Snape pushed forward from his hiding billet at the small but nearby sound. He pointed his camouflaged arm at the far wall, by some pillars."I heard something over there."

"I didn't hear anything."The rat said in his fearful quavering tone."Perhaps you're… ha… ha… imagining things…Severus."

"It should be Snape from the likes of you."Snape kept scanning the darkness before him and a moment later

Crack…crack…

"There."Behind a pillar, perhaps the Potter boy or one of his clique trying to reach the corridor again. An pique he didn't need with something so much more important going on. The rat Quirrell needed observance. For now Snape wasn't sure whether he wanted the Harlan Fisk Stone for himself or for… for… Snape shuddered away from the name in his mind. Dumbledore said saying it would make him fear less but to Snape it was too much. The old gull didn't know, he hadn't been up close. Some matter deserve fear.

"Well if you think so th… then go over and check."

"Oh you'd dearest that wouldn't you Quirrell."Snape jammed his wand under the servile wretch's mentum. Quirrell squealed and tried to stand on his tiptoes to get out the dark-wood point."Leave you close to the door unsupervised while at the same clock time turning my spine on you. Something I will never do."Snape pushed the man towards the other wall."You go first."

They walked like hostage and kidnapper up the frigidness stone pathway to the pillar. Quirrell raised his wand. Not a chance…

"Back down by your incline or I will need it and possibly the hand It's gripped in too."Quirrell's arm blastoff back down. As they reached the pillar Snape let the rat take the lead and look around the nook. bettor him to take the for the first time blow if one came.

"There's n… aught here Sev…Professor Snape."No there isn't now, not after you distracted me for so long. Useless idiot.

Snape stepped around himself and saw nothing but three oddly placed rocks, all together, near the ground where they might have fallen. They were both considering the conundrum when a phantom skirted the back rampart and stopped by the no-longer-guarded door.

*

"Alohomora."just a whisper like silk sliding over silk but the lock clicked and Harry slid the door undecided just ever so slightly, then entered the foreclose hall.

"Ha."Harry thought as he took one last glance at the prof before closing the threshold."unclouded than air liquorish. Eat it quick or it melts in the air ! also if you tie up a stone or two with it you get a randomness about five minutes after you take it from its wrapping. Who needs Q when you have mail-order Honeydukes ?"Harry turned back and for the beginning time took a flavor at his surroundings.

rake nigrify. Not even heart trained for this could penetrate it. Harry squatted down quietly and let his former sensory faculty have a try.

low temperature, clammy, cold-shoulder intermittent breeze. Odd that, you'd think there was nowhere for a child's play to fall from. Also the air had been dead still out on the roof.

Damp scent with a hint of mud and spate. There was urine in there somewhere too and other things even less savoury. Bit like a wet dog smell…

And well-nigh importantly in a bone chilling, heart bounce, cold-sweat, dry-palms, running-for-the-door-despite-Snape-and-all way, the sound of breathing. Heavy in-out breathing time with a suggestion of slobber on them. More like snoring actually. Harry tried to still himself down and at least partially succeeded. Getting out his scepter he smothered the tip in his gown then breathed.

"Lumos"

The radiance through the fabric was like dead fireflies but it showed Harry the shape of what was in front of him. Its bulk half way to the ceiling and slowly insurrection and falling with its breath. Like a muffled shade Harry moved across the flooring, skirting the walls until he had travelled all the way around the beast, having to step over its tail where it brushed the wall. There were no other doorway. This elbow room and this wolf was all there was to see. Harry edged closer to the front of the thing, his feet turned and poised to flee to the door at any moment.

"But what if I'm not fast enough."Harry tried to silence his brain but it kept up its shrill reservations"What if its like a dragon and it doesn't matter how fast I am. It'll Wake and I'll die in one bright flare in the shadow !"

"It'll wake for indisputable if you don't shut up and let me digest !"Harry edged in closer to the beast and stopped when his igniter revealed a modification of texture in the floor. Harry carefully traced its sharpness in his thinker."A square… a trapdoor… that which is hidden… that which is forbidden."Harry grinned in the darkness. The only trouble was the dark mass obscuring one turning point of the square, a paw or claw of the thing. Harry's front was as wearisome as drifting plume and as hush as his hands found the edge of the thing, and the handle, on the opposite face to the claw. Harry wanted to annihilate his wand but the strait he'd have to make was worsened than the stifled incandescence. Harry reached for the trapdoor handle and applied the lightest skin senses of draw to it, increasing by hairsbreadth breadths Harry felt the Ellen Price Wood move.

A grunt near his shoulder made his brawniness freeze and his gist subspecies. He felt pulp move all around him and the air brought new streamer of malodor. But the beast just grunted again and fell back into snoring. Harry eased the room access up a half span more then stuck his helping hand in and felt inside. No steps met his questing hand, just a straight dick. Harry propped the doorway open with a rod and felt in his pocket. He drew forth a foresightful chain. His nimble finger felt the plumb on the end and he put it through the trapdoor then slowly and evenly paid out rophy counting under his breath. The string went mire. About eight meters. With something delicate he'd do it. With inhuman pit he'd break a leg. Harry wondered if a real superstar would fuck some self levitation spell to get themselves down safely. He pulled back up on the cosmic string and suffered a surprise. It was stuck ! He tugged on it again. No give at all. He tugged again and in a heart stopping bit, felt the rod brush his arm.

The trapdoor battering closed was like a cannon nut in the gut and Harry felt the iniquity movement around him. He threw himself backwards as a guttural growl filled the way with primaeval fear. He saw a form the size of it of an oven overhead down in front of him and heard wood splinter and crack. Harry whipped the cloth from his scepter and the complete shadows danced luxuriously on the wall before him as the monumental rottweiler point turned and looked at him with bloodshot middle. Harry dived again to avoid its teeth and looked up to see it descending from above him too ! Harry kicked off from the ground and slid, he felt hot intimation on his back and the cinch of jaws behind him but he was gone. straight into the ruined trapdoor and plummeting down the shaft.

*

Harry spun in the air and he felt operose bother as his point caught itself a crack on the passing rampart. He landed in a plant and in a daze, his eyes showing him Negroid spots more than anything else. He lifted his handwriting to his head and was surprised to see it came back clear, without blood or possibly mental capacity. He shook his drumhead to exonerate it and held his vibration hand and wand up to reveal his surroundings. A characterless room with this plant covering the flooring, covering some of the walls too, and the ceiling, and him !

"What the hell !"Harry shouted at the tendrils as they wrapped themselves around his ramification. He tried to pull them off but they were the like telegram ! They wrapped his waist too ! Harry pulled and tore at the vines !"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry used the curse Snape had aimed at him but bare thread of light shot from his verge and the plant life barely noticed. What was that early one ! ? Think ! Think !"Relashio !"red sparks and oestrus shot from his wand and where they hit the flora drew back."Relashio !"Harry aimed at his legs and cried out as his hide burned. But he was barren. He stumbled to his feet and blasted a few concluding tendrils. He leapt to the threshold and pushed through, staggering down the corridor occasionally pointing his wand back in lawsuit the demon industrial plant had tried to follow him, he reached another door and carefully pushed it open, wand out in strawman he entered the room, and was met by a unknown sight.

shining, fluttering glittering affair, flying near the ceiling century of them. Harry edged out into the centre of the high overleap space. The faggot sparks remained near the cap and Harry at last-place stopped eying them crooked. He walked over to the door on the early English and tried the handle. Locked. Obviously. It could never be tardily could it ? Harry was just wondering what to do when he heard articulation from behind him. Spinning like a startle cat Harry saw faint light coming from around the border of the door he'd just come through. The light and the voice got firm as Harry searched for a hiding place. He ran to a wall buttress and grabbed for a handhold, thank heavens they like decoration around this place…

*

"I assure you Professor Dumbledore no one got past us. Unless they were… hm… Invisible ! Ha…"

"I am not impugning your ability Quirenius I merely wish to be sure."Dumbledore walked slowly as if there was no hastiness. Severus had alerted him as soon as the dog had awoken and had himself tried to calm the fauna which was tearing at the floor near the trapdoor in a frenzy. Still, the old fool still had his wits about him. He'd made them both leave while he placated the dog so neither of them had seen how to do it. He'd conjured a stairway to take them down and a marble walkway over the devilsnare with a casualness that betrayed his reliable powers. Snape had to privately take on to himself he couldn't have replicated either feat. That made him flinch inside but he took some comfort from the fact that if he could not do it, Quirrell certainly couldn't and so the stone was still safe.

They emerged into the key chamber and Snape strode forward and jerked the grip. The door was still locked.

"They could have locked it from the other side."Ivy and keys ? folly and idiocy. The other instructor hadn't protected the Stone nearly well enough.

"But if they had."Dumbledore said in his insufferably quiet phonation."Then the key would receive been locked on that side with them and I think… Ah !"The old man pointed a be-ringed finger towards the cap and Snape strained his eyes into the cloud of glitter but failed to pick out which one the old man was indicating."It's still here. So… crisis averted. Or more correctly, there never was a crisis in the first place."

"well. I… I for one am calling my replacement."Quirrells vox was shrill and grating. Snape made a mental note to add de-lunging to his tilt of tortures once he finally caught the nauseous creature."I'm all of a fl… flutter."Quirrell turned and walked back down the corridor.

"Professor."Perhaps he'll listen to me now. Perhaps the doddering gull will listen to what I have to say now."As I have said before, Quirenius Quirrell has every intention of stealing the philosophers stone."Snape was so incensed he didn't even notice the movement above him in a richly alcove, like mortal getting into a better position to listen."He was seen snooping around the Slytherin common room a week ago and he's never really explained why he took the defence job in the outset place."Snape couldn't hold voice to the real rationality for his mistrust. A gut flavor, a twisting tongue in his heart and an aureole of threat he felt in every cadre whenever Quirrell was nearby. An irrational fear too. A fear of being discovered, a fearfulness that made every moment a still prayer that his genial defense force would entertain and he wouldn't be found out for what he was. He hadn't felt like that in over ten years…

"And as I have said before Severus I have no cause to mistrust Professor Quirrell."As he half plough away Snape could have sworn that Dumbledore's back talk tilted into a still smile."But if it would serve you sleep better I will place my own security on the stone tonight rather than waiting until after Christmas."That was certainly a shock !

"Professor you have resisted every petition that you add your own magic's to the shelter of the stone."He had. All the early teachers had done it but the headmaster had maintained he wasn't prepare yet and he still needed to prove."What has changed ? Have I truly swayed you ?"

"Many affair have changed. Before I had not tested enough. Now I have."Dumbledore took a small sweet out of his sack and popped it in his sassing before continuing."I intended to do a bit more testing but…"The old man spread his hands."I suppose the current version will probably work well enough."

"May I ask what this providential protection is ?"The headmaster had made some extraordinary title about what his protection would do."A security that not the Dark Maker, nor any decease eater, nor anyone with wishing to use it for ill or rapacity could penetrate ?"

"Ah Severus."Now the man was smiling. Sometimes the senile old man was just plain insufferable."You are always telling me I'm too trusting and now you want me to reveal my brilliant protection ?"His smiling eyes glanced at Snape over the top of his deoxyephedrine before he turned and walked back down the passageway. There wasn't much Snape could do but follow him.

*

Harry waited a good half hour after seeing Snape disappear, just to be sure he was truly gone before slipping out of his hiding place and climbing down to the base. With a sneak glance around he made for the doorway and was almost there before…

"going already Harry ?"

Harry turned on his axis, his fount frozen mid pant and looked up into the face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster."Harry said doing his best to smile."I was just inspecting the security department you have here. Sort of… um… assessing it for you so I could enjoin you where you could… improve…it…"Harry trailed off under that quizzical stare.

"And…"

"And ?"

"And how could I meliorate it ?"Dumbledore was one-half smiling when he said that. Under that warm grinning face Harry relaxed a short, this didn't feel like a conversation that could end in expulsion.

"Well, the two headed dog was good."

"Last I looked it had three heads."

"well I didn't stick around long, I only met two. The plant was less adept though. A piddling warmth, a few sparks and it's backing away."

"Devilsnare has clamed elder and wiser sorcerer than you Harry. You'd be amazed how few the great unwashed can still consider clearly enough to cut it away while being constricted."Dumbledore stepped forward and touched Harry's aspect. A moment later he nodded and touched Harry's forehead with his scepter. A consequence later Harry felt an odd tingling filling him, the Burns on his stage faded and disappeared, as did the excoriation he'd received throwing himself away from the dog."There. All better."Dumbledore moved back and folded his sleeve."And now I'm afraid to say I must ask the real cause you came down here tonight."Suddenly the air had grown colder. expulsion was back on the table.

In rebelliousness of tradition Harry tried the truth.

"I overheard prof Snape threatening prof Quirrell the Night before Halloween."Dumbledore just nodded as if this was convention."Snape seemed to intend he was going to try and steal something. We…"No, better he thinks I'm the lone one to blame"I worked out that it must be what's hidden here. What you got Hagrid to garner for you the same day we shopped for my school stuff. The same affair someone tried to snap off into Gringots to get later."

"The philosophers stone."When Dumbledore saw Harry's grimace he continued"Harry, don't feign jolt I know you overheard my late conversation with professor Snape. What I wish to know is why you came here in the eye of the night and alone."

"Couldn't risk anyone else. And besides, they all make too much disturbance for this variety of work."Harry tried to picture Neville sneaking past the dog and giggled."The only way I could do this was alone."The other understanding of path was that after being humiliated by Malfoy on a broom handle he'd wanted to prove to himself that he could do it alone.

"Harry. As amazed as I am to say this it is possible you are going to turn out to be more trouble than your father. I never thought anyone would gainsay that crown."Dumbledore's smiling was back, and this time not a half one. He shook his head ruefully then frowned as if a unspeakable memory was surfacing. But the smile was back in a moment and he motioned Harry over to the bulwark behind him where a tall mirror was stood.

"That wasn't here before."

"I brought it down after conversing with Professor Snape."

"This is your protection ? What your using to protect the endocarp ?"

"Part of it."Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at the mirror for a second then turned back to Harry."Its called the Mirror of Erised. Look into it and tell me what you see."

Harry obediently moved in social movement of the mirror and stared into his reflectivity. He wasn't alone in the mirror. Behind him stood the new vulture, some of the former students he'd talked to around the school, Hagrid, even Malfoy for some reason, more faces he'd met and some people he hadn't but still felt some odd connection to, as if they were… booster. As he watched he saw himself age, and the others around him too, passing through teenage long time he grew taller, passing further and further, crinkle appeared on his face, then Grey in his hair. He grew to an old man, smiling, surrounded by his booster. Then in an instant he was back as a child and he saw it start out again.

"What does it think of ?"Harry looked at the Ag haired professor who was standing nearby."Is it showing the future ?"

"One could hope so, but no."Dumbledore seemed please but faintly surprised as he looked down at Harry."The mirror shows us nothing more or LE than what we truly trust above all else. You Harry, who by your own selection lived a lonely and insensate childhood desire friends, and fellow traveler and more than that ..."Dumbledore took Harry by one berm and kneeled down to babble out to him face to face"…you want to fuck you'll keep them. You want to recognize that you don't have to go back to the inhuman sprightliness. Because that is what you most fear."

Harry looked back at the mirror. The faces were still there standing behind him, some were laughing now, or talking amongst themselves. The figures were growing misty for some intellect, Harry wondered if there was something wrong with the mirror. Then he felt the bunco game in his eyes. Wordlessly, Dumbledore handed him a tissue.

"Let me lead you back to your room Harry."He said quietly."Your acquaintance are waiting for you."They walked calmly back through the rooms and out into the sleeping castle.

*

"So."Said Harry at a loss for conversation."How ‘ d you get past the other protective covering ?"The Headmaster fixed him with a critical eye.

"I reckon I could get past ‘ em."Harry grinned up at the old wizard."Got past two didn't I ?"

"Indeed you did. The particular of which I would favour you save to yourself."He smiled back down at Harry."And perhaps you are right. I strongly suspect that my own protection would not trouble you at all."

"Hm, how do you get past a mirror ? Break it ! That's the answer isn ‘ t it."

"Oh please Harry. Do you really think my trade protection would be so crude."

"Exactly. It ‘ s so childlike that no one would suspect ! That's how I ‘ d do it."

"Then I am thankful Harry, that I am not actually employing you."

*

"Harry !"Ron's phonation filtered down from the for the first time long time elbow room to where Harry was idly skimming through one of his school Word of God by the Christmas tree."What are you doing down there ?"

"What do you intend ?"Almost no one else left in the Gryffindor common room since everyone was away for the holiday, thus Harry didn't feel the need to mince his spokesperson when yelling back to Ron. It was just one of the fun affair they had worked out about being left behind. Of course Ron wouldn't have kept quiet down anyway. Ron had no volume command."And Merry Noel to you to !"

"Merry Yule ? Yeah I can see why you'd leave that to net seeing as you've left all your nowadays up hear."Ron emerged from the staircase and tossed a exhibit at Harry who caught it before it could strike hard over a lamp."Why'd you just leave them up there ?"

If Harry had been reliable he would stimulate said that he'd just assumed they were Ron's. Instead he went for…

"Didn't want to inflame you. And why are you using my present tense as projectile ? What if it had been fragile ?"

"Nah mate."Ron shook his head ruefully"I can say what that one is, however you wrap them they all feel the same."Harry unwrapped the parcel and pulled out a blue, knitted jumper. On the social movement were three juggling balls in red, yellowness and super acid."My mum."Ron said holding up a like clause."She makes them for all of us. mustiness have heard you weren't expecting many presents."

"Its pretty good. Very debonair."Harry pulled the jumper on over his head and they went back up to the elbow room to get the sleep of the present. Of course Harry had sent his protagonist presents ( miserable power shovel had been run ragged. The minuscule owl was so eager to please she didn't seem to take any shift in escape. ) but it form of failed to click in his head that he ‘ d probably get some in counter. Harry noticed one with Hermione's neat handwriting on it ( after all, he ‘ d copied off her notes enough meter. Occasionally even with permission. ) and pulled it over first.

"It ‘ ll be a Word mate."

"Wow Ron, a thick, heavy, rectangular package from a known bookworm ? And just from that you can guess it's a rule book ?"

"That, and she got me one too."Ron held up a Bible with a checker board cover, there was a rook on the front but Harry couldn't read the title. Pulling the newspaper off his own present he smiled. It was an large option of deep brown but what made him smiling was the billet on the top that said


Admit it, you thought this was a book didn't you ?

Ron himself had provided Harry with an absurdly orange hat and Neville had found him some juggling batons charmed to hang back rainbows in the air behind them when thrown. Padma and Anapurna had got him book, but it looked like they'd collaborated because the titles read privacy and deception, appealingness of concealment and Beyond allohamora, unlocking your obstacles. nearly of the quietus were edible things ( not that Harry minded ) and he bit into a bar of chocolate while settling down to read.

*

Harry popped the second to last of his Dec 25 chocolates into his mouth and handed the finally one to Parvarti who was skulking in the apparition nearby. At least it was a nice night, night with rainfall had been rather unpleasant. For the past few calendar month the piranha had been working on the Quirell closed book but getting nowhere. Eventually one day when they were researching in the library Harry threw his book away in disgust and said

"This is pointless."

"You ‘ re the one who said we had to get him mate."Ron had been staring at a account book on antediluvian chemistry for the past half hour. He hadn't turned the page.

"We do have to get him."Harry waved his handwriting wearily over the table."But we ‘ ve gone through all this hooey. We ‘ re not gona find anything this way."

"We can ‘ t really do anything else Harry."Herminone had pointed out. Of course she would say that. She was probably enjoying this."We just don't know enough about what he ‘ s doing."

"No…"And that was when the musical theme had formed in Harry's mind. It was so unsubdivided he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before."But we can find out."

"How ?"Neville had asked.

"We become his phantasma. We watch him everywhere he goes. He ‘ s got to slue up eventually right ?"

Organising a night watch had seemed like a lot Thomas More fun than it was. In teams of two they rotated, each team taking either the first-class honours degree half of the night, the arcsecond half or having a dark off. After a week and a half of reduced sleep the 1st year rascal were getting a bit moth-eaten. At to the lowest degree he was paired with Parvarti. She was mostly cheerful.

"This isn't working."Or not…

"We know he's going somewhere. Some nights."Ron had woke them all after one of his round of drinks with the news that Quirrell had slipped out furtively. Him and Hermione had moved swiftly to the 3rd floor corridor to head him off, but he had never showed."We just need to go for a piffling longer."

"But I'm tired."The usually chipper twin hadn't taken well to the minute."And he's never going to get along out."

"Funny you should say that…"Harry ducked low and pulled the girl down with him as he saw the room access to Quirrells fourth part clear and close, permitting the teacher to scurry off down the hall.

"Yes ! We've got him. Lets go !"The weariness had drained from her face and she had regained a grin. She moved off without a countersign but Harry had started in the opposite focus."Hey ! The one-third trading floor corridor is that way !"

"Yeah but we don't know he's going there."Harry held her hired man as they walked a cap ridge on the incline of a courtyard."I'm not making the Sami error as the others, I'm not letting him out of my sight."They slid silently down a drainpipe onto a flat roof above the kitchens and Harry saw the turbaned wizard miscue out a side door, cross the courtyard, then embark a room access leading to the entry hall.

"Well we can't…"But Harry held up one finger to hush her and a moment later they, heard a door opening and completion then could clearly see the dark build of the wiz robes as he crossed the grounds towards the prohibit woods."What do we do now ?"

"We watch him."Harry said it without the conviction it usually held and with a good pane of fear in there as well."You go back and tell the others."But he was surprised when she shook her head.

"No, I'm going with you. You can't go in there alone."She started moving before he had a chance to object."Besides, I've heard there are centaur in there. I wouldn't mind seeing a centaur."

*

"Do you know where your going ?"Parvarti hadn't seen any centaurs, but there had seen other things skulking between the trees. Harry looked back and wished he would sustain offered some reassurance. He knew he could find the way back, fountainhead probably. He had made sure to mark it at habitue musical interval with snub on the shoetree trunks. But tracking a man through forest was nada he had even thought of doing before. They had entered the timberland at about the Lapplander speckle as Quirrell and Harry had had his hopes boosted by finding a footmark stamp in mud nearby but after that nothing.

He was vaguely mindful that they should look out for broken twigs or birdsong but the twigs seemed to have no discernable lineament and the timberland was eerily tranquility. Except for the things.

"flavor at this !"Parvarti was pointing at a leaf nearby. When Harry moved closer he saw what she was pointing at. A silver gray liquid covered the leafage, it felt foxy and greasy under his digit. Also slightly warm."And there's more."Again she was right, there was a trail leading across the path they'd been taking more liquid tinged the flat coat in both centering."It must have been bleeding !"

"It ? What it ?"

"The unicorn silly !"Parvarti pointed her burglars lantern back at the leaf."Oh I cant opine what could do such a thing ! This is unicorn blood line Harry, and it looks impudent !"

"It is."Confirmed Harry with a gulp."Its even still warm."Why are we here ? Why did I do this ? Why didn't we get the others or tell McGonagall or… Harry tried to continue his grimace impassive but it was hard.

It was one matter knowing smutty things were out in the woodland butchering nice things, quite another to let validation and another still to have them be so closemouthed that the blood wouldn't have had time to cool in the night air. He looked at his friend and was suppressed to see no fear in her typeface, only anger that something would hurt a unicorn.

"But which way did it do ?"She shine her twinkle first one way then the other.

"This way."Said Harry in idle pure tone and pointed at the ground ahead. In the mud there, clean for all to see, was the heel of a boot print. Harry didn't want to accept even to himself that his low instinct on seeing the print was to point the other way. That or run for the hills."Alright. Close the shutter on the light right down, we can see the pedigree well enough. And go slow."Parvarti did as she was told and they set off again into the forest. Harry couldn't have told anyone afterwards how long they had walked, it seemed like an infinity. The splashes of parentage grew larger and more frequent, the further they went until.

"!"Harry stopped dead and put his hired man out flat in front of the other Marauder. There was a glade up ahead, bathed in the humpbacked moonshine and the night air carried audio to them. It sounded like an obscene slurping and gurgling and along with it there were the sounds of faint apparent movement. Harry pointed left, around the border of the clearing then once again put up a unity finger. Silence.

They moved around until they were behind a fallen tree then slowly looked over the top of the log. Through the limb that his them they saw an awful plenty. The unicorn was splayed on the floor like it had been run to reason and a dissemble figure hunched over it, drinking its blood out through its wounds.

A tug on Harry's sleeve brought him back to the here and now and he crouched back down with Parvarti. Her face was a picture of angriness and she mimed jumping over the log while brandishing her lantern. Harry shook his head firmly. What the nether region was she thinking ? She gestured more firmly then touched her heart and made a pumping gesture. What was that supposed to mean ? She opened her mouth and mouthed something to him but he couldn't tell what. She did it again more overdo and the meaning hit him with sickening certainty.

"It's still alive !"
Harry looked over the log again and saw what he had missed the for the first time time. The Unicorns chest was indeed still moving up and down and its breath disturbed the dust near its head. He sat back down and made the heart pumping gesture while nodding, he'd seen it too. Obviously Parvarti wanted to save the brute if potential. Harry stuck his finger in the dirt between them and wrote one word.

HAGRID

Then pointed to her. She nodded, then pointed to him. He smiled and wrote one to a greater extent word.

distraction

*

Without further ado he moved further around the clearing so that when he ran he would make the thing away from the direction Parvarti would hold to go to get assist. He was glad to see her moving off too, rather than arguing with his decision. Harry wrapped the scarf round his point again and tucked it in so it wouldn't unravel. This would do, he thought. No good sense waiting around. He got out his wand, took thrifty aim and yelled

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The cloaked digit was caught off safety and some of Harry's lightheaded spears had hit it. It flinched back, more surprised than hurt then an new randomness came from its exhaust hood, a drawn out athirst sound. Like a snake having a rat dangled in its human face. Wonderful, thought Harry as the thing rose up, Uncle Vernon always said I was vermin.

It was as if that thought snapped him out of his fright palsy and he ran, away from the clearing and the thing. He moved without thinking, substructure slamming on hearty reason where potential and pushing off roots and mud when not. Harry never looked behind him but he knew the affair was still on him. He moved into new sections of the wood where the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree were unlike bod, older, newer, taller, more clash they all shot by him in an second, too fast for him to see properly. He did notice that they weren ‘ t meeting any fauna and thought that they were probably scared of the thing behind him.

He reached a loggerheaded viewpoint of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and encounter and slipped in sideways. Here he risked a flavor back. Nothing. English ? nominal head ? Nothing. Harry allowed himself a controlled breath. It looked like he had lost it. Harry sat for a endorsement on a log and let his ramification eternal rest. The tiredness of the past week and the strain of the Night caught up to him at once and he sagged against the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree behind him. He didn't know how hanker he sat there, he may even induce fallen asleep but he did experience what caused him to come to attention suddenly. A sprig breaking nearby. Harry moved slowly and backed away from the source of the sound when a hand grabbed him from tail and swung him around roughly. Harry's fright of attack turned into relievo, then quickly back into fear.

"Out for a midnight stroll Potter ?"

"prof Snape."Harry said trying his dependable to put on a good face."Thank god you found me."

*

The boy walked in silence in front of him as Snape led him back towards the palace. The charms he'd laced the edges of the forest with had tripped, waking him and warning him that Quirrell had gone on another of his nightly outing. But once again the slight worm had eluded him and he'd been on his way back when he'd seen Potter in a standpoint of trees. His mouth felt like twitching into a smile, at least some good could amount of this night's work.

"What are you going to do when we get back to the castle."The boys voice was unfluctuating than he expected. Planning something… Ha ! Just like the other Potter this one thought he was smart.

"We are going to your head of sign. Then to Dumbledore. Then you can explain what you were doing in the forbidden timber after hours."Snape allowed himself a moment of joy then said."Then you can go back to your room and multitude for the railroad train journey back. From which you will never return."

"But what if I've got a salutary reason for being here ?"

"What possible understanding could that be ?"

"Same rationality you are. Following Quirrell."Had that been a shot in the dark ? He tried to catch the unacceptable youngster's center but he looked straight ahead."And unlike you I succeeded."

"Quirrell is a fellow instructor. With every right to natter the wood if he so chooses."

"Oh."The scion of his enemy said brightly."So you wouldn't be interested in what he's doing in there then ?"

Insufferable, Worthless, Sneaking, COWARDLY, MANIPULATING !, WORM ! ! Snape took a mo to get together his sentiment before turning Potter and looking directly into his eyes. There was a flash, a tabular array, some faces… a frown crossed the boy face for a import then he shook his header worriedly. Even Snape could not conceal his blow as a blank wall appeared before him, slowly fading over the memories. The boy was an Occlumens ! But he couldn't know what he was doing, it must be subconscious ! With a waver of fear his eye were drawn to the scratch on the son forehead. Or was it entirely subconscious mind ? king would be transferred in such an result, great power…

"What are you suggesting ?"Inside himself he was seething. He so wanted to see the son of James potter expelled. It would reach up for so a lot but… Quirrell was more important, if there was even the slightest chance the stone could be use to get back… Potter could wait for another time.

"You forget this ever happened and in one week I ‘ ll tell you what I saw tonight."Smug and insufferable. And in this causa right.

"Why one week ?"

"Because it would face odd if in one week you go to Dumbledore and say ‘ I caught Harry potter in the forest a week ago, I just didn't Tell you till now.'” They had entered the castling now and were on their way to the uncouth room. They stopped outside the portrait door."Well ?"

"Agreed."

*

Harry breathed again and slipped in through the door. A moment later he was attacked ! Visiously and unexpectedly, it took him a second to realise it was Hermione. She had thrown her blazonry around his cervix and was sobbing against his chest.

"We thought…"She sniffed giving Harry a chance to look around. Everyone was there, including Parvarti. They all looked relived."That it had… got… you."

"ask it prosperous OK. I'm alright."Harry levered her off him and took a breather only to be re-bowled over as Parvarti hugged him."What the ?"

"We shouldn't have left you. And it was me who wanted to save it in the number 1 place, I…"

"I. Am. Fine."He pulled her of as well and was about the speak before looking up expectantly at Padma.

"Oh fine if everyone else is doing it."She stood up and hugged him too. Then let out a fake sob and said"And I broke a nail this morn !"Harry grinned and she returned to her shoes at the table.

"So, now we know what he ‘ s doing the side by side gradation ‘ s to find out why. And what we ‘ re gona to do about it."



*

The following few calendar week were full of disappointment. Except for the Slytherins who got a temporary reprieve from pranking. Hagrid had saved the unicorn and in thanks for their aid he told them all about the properties of unicorn blood and what it could be used for. Snape hadn't been any assistant, when Harry told him the story a week later he merely nodded and told him to get out. From what they knew they could work out that Quirrell was after immortality but for what reason ?

"Maybe he ‘ s not after it for himself."Neville had said one day. Harry tried to always treat Neville's proffer as smart in the hope it would persuade the boy to talk more."You said he called mortal passkey when he thought he was alone."

"But he was alone Neville."Ron apparently hadn't heard about that plan."Wait… that's our account. He ‘ s crazy ! Nuts ! He ‘ s prob'ly talking to his turban !"

"Or he had some sort of magic communicator in his room."Padma said scathingly."Something he was talking to person through."

"Oh, yeah."Ron looked down a short sheepishly. Then brightened."Hey ! Maybe if we got our hands on the communicator we could, I don't know, trace it back to this lord ?"

"That would depend on how sophisticated it is."Hermione's spokesperson came from behind a passel of Quran, shed already begun revising for the end of year exams and at least some of the other piranha seemed to desire to bring together her."But Dumbledore could probably do it."

"Alright then."A plan began to form in Harry's judgment."Dumbledore said he had no grounds to suspect Quirrell and Snape's got no cogent evidence to present him otherwise. If we get this communicator then they've got the trial impression they need and they can make a motion to block up Quirrell."

"But Harry. We don't know where the communicator is."

"I know. That's why we ‘ re going to burglarize Quirrell."

"Is ‘ burglarize ‘ even a word."Padma asked.

"The spellchecker seems to think it is."

"What's a spellchecker ?"

"it's a spell that detect misspelled speech, underlines them in red."

"I really need to revise."

*

But the opportunity didn't come for a longsighted while. Quirrell had begun sleeping with his window closed and the ignition lock on his door resisted all the antic in beyond allohamora. ("I can't believe you gave him that."Hermione had said"Its like giving a scalawag the key to the plantation."Ron had shot back"Yeah, or you the key to the library !") and there was nil to be done but waitress and watch for Quirrell to slew up. There was a plus side though. safety device duty gave them mint of clip to retool. Then the test came, painful and inevitable with the fearfulness and uncertainty that came with them.

The only when ones Harry was at any way comfortable about were charms and astronomy, the latter because unlike other classes he actually paid attention and the former because ( perhaps due to his Christmas nowadays ) he was genuinely good at the spells. Potions was a incubus and defence against the dark arts worse. Quirrell had taken to watching him out of the quoin of his eye when he thought Harry wasn't looking. Harry hadn't told the others, Quirrell wasn't watching them and he didn't want to worry them.

Even with the exams and their continued failing in their undertaking it was intemperate to feel bad. The weather had turned to wonderful and students could always be found out sunning themselves on the Grass. Harry was just on his way to spend an afternoon in just such a fashion ( the rest of the piranha already waiting ) when he looked up and saw what he had been waiting for for week. Quirrells window, open.

Harry glanced around, did he dare go up on the rooftops in the heart of the day ? When the whole school day would be able to see him. Harry turned to where he knew he could climb up and stopped. Should he get the others ? No. Quirrell might give back and their alone chance would be lost. He quickly scurried up the paries and slipped in through the window.

The elbow room smelled strongly of Allium sativum and indeed there were clove hanging in versatile places around the room. He quickly began searching using what they knew of communication magical spell, mirrors were often used, sometimes gems or crystal. He checked the mirror in the can but it appeared to be the normal kind ( no reply when tapped with a scepter ). He was about to check the bedchamber when he heard a vocalization behind him.

"Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly."




Note, if your wondering why some of the chapters are twice the distance of the others it 's because they used to be two chapters. I put some of them together because its taking so long to get the poppycock posted. Also because they seemed pointlessly short before.


"wellspring, well, well."professor Quirrell had lost his stutter and stood in front of the mesh room access with his verge pointed at Harry's chest."You do get yourself into a great deal of awkward situations."

"it's a gift."Harry tried not to glance at the windowpane. It was still unfastened, and there were some tree in the court below. He might take in it.

"No !"Quirrell flicked his scepter and the windowpane banged shut. Another motion picture and it glowed for a consequence, accompanied by a squelching sound."No, you're not leaving that way Potter."He grabbed Harry's arm, jerked his wand out of his air pocket then pulled him to the door. The 1st year could feel the tip of Quirrells wand against the diminished of his binding."Now walk, calmly and unhurried. To the tierce floor."

The corridors that were always so full of smiling bookman were virtually empty now. All of them outside enjoying the sun. The few he saw in the length too far away to signal to.

"boldness forward."Quirrell hissed."If you attempt to admonish anyone then that person atomic number 66 then you die is that clear ?"

"Why are you taking me up there ?"Harry tried to convince his psyche to exploit but he seemed to be missing encephalon cubicle.

"Oh that's quite wide-eyed. Your going to help me, I knew what you and your piddling protagonist were up to so I laid a snare. Now you are going to assist me with something, with two things actually. The inaugural is simple, all you have to do is play along. Lie. You're soundly at that yes ? The s is a bit more composite. You see…"They grew close to the corridor and Quirrell pulled him to a point and into a disused classroom."I've spent the year devising unfailing slipway to get past each defensive measure except one that still eludes me."

"Snape."goodness old sneaky illegitimate Snape.

"Yes Snape."Quirrell drew an odd potion from his robes, it was huckster disgraceful and looked oddly oily."His protection I don't get it on how to pass but… that is for later. For now ? drink this."He held out the potion."Just a sip, we only need the consequence for a few minutes."Harry hesitated."Do it ! Do it or you die !"

Harry took a bantam sip of the potion and instantly felt the effect. His paw seemed to grow and he pulled off his brake shoe as the pressure in them increased. Shirley Temple Black hair grew down in straw man of his middle and he flicked it out of the way. After a few moments the effect ceased and he stood up again, taller by far than when he had begun.

"Ah, wonderful."Quirrell said smiling."Now put these on."He handed Harry some farsighted dark gown and gestured to the mirror nearby. Harry took them and walked over, stopping for a moment in shock. He looked like Snape !"Get on with it boy !"Harry struggled into the gown then did them up and allowed Quirrell to lead him towards the dreaded corridor. Harry saw professors Flitwick and Sinestra outside the room access. Sinestra was sitting Cross legged and appeared to be meditating in some way. Quirrell prodded him in the backrest. Of course, Snape would do the first-class honours degree move. He tried to puddle his voice as sneering as possible then said.

"We're here to live over you."Apparently that was all that's needed as the two teachers nodded and left the corridor murmuring good-bye. Quirrell pulled him towards the doorway."What if they meet the tangible Snape ? They'll know he's not here."

"prof Snape was called away unexpectedly."Quirrell smirked confirming to Harry that his absence was no coincidence."He thinks he arranged a replacement on sentry go duty but unfortunately the owl never got through. Oh and in case you were wondering your wanted Dumbledore is gone too, called away to the ministry. No one can help you."

"I can help me."Harry thought desperately as they entered the room with the colossus dog. Its three capitulum instantly rose to ascertain them but Quirrell pointed his sceptre at the story nearby and a harp appeared. Another coordination compound movement and it began plucking out a simple melodic line. The keen beasts palpebra drooped and it fell quickly asleep.

"Come on boy ! I haven't got all day."Quirrell pulled him forwards to the trap door then pulled it open. He whispered a piddling appeal and a circle began curling its way out of his baton. Quirrell seemed to accept to centralize a great deal to pull this off and Harry backed away slowly. He felt some thing behind him and put a hand back to feel. It was the harp. Acting on inherent aptitude, Harry grabbed the harmonica and smashed it as hard as he could against one of the hot dog giant paws. The dog awoke with a roar and bit through the mouth organ remains in a single chomp. Then it turned to the other interlopers in its room.

"Boy ! What do you think you're…"But then Quirrell was forced to fight back himself as the great pass reared up above him. He screeched a exclusive word of honor and bolide smacked one on the nose. Harry took the opportunity and bolted for the door."I'm not done with you yet Potter !"Quirrell screamed. Harry glanced back in clock time to see red light, then dark.

*

"Where the perdition is Harry ?"Ron glanced back at the castle get at."He said he was only gon na be a few minutes."

"Why are you worrying Ron, when you could be sunbathing !"Parvarti stretched out on the land and sighed happily.

"He's probably just got distracted by something Ron."Hermione was doing her case of sunbathing. With a script."Honestly, sometimes I think he has a shortsighted tending twain than… than… well than you !"

"I can't believe your reading out here."Ron caught the quaffel thrown to him by Neville then threw it back."The exams are over Hermione."

"For this year."

"You're actually revising for succeeding year exams ?"Ron shook his principal then yelled"Hey !"as a quaffel smacked into the side of his headspring.

"Oh sorry Ron."Padma commented with massive falseness."Were you not ready ?"

"Oh look the mudblood army seem to be missing a general."The marauders turned en wad to see Malfoy strolling towards them with his hired man in his air hole."punter get used to it though."

"What did you say !"Ron yelled at the same time as Hermione said"What do you mean get used to it ?"

"I mean scum,"Ron's fists clenched."That your little hero seems to throw finally gotten into more trouble than he can care. Oh yes, I saw a teacher carting him off. Looked angry too."

"Which teacher ?"Padma's question seemed ominously quiet down in the open air.

"Professor Quirrell, but don't think that… Hey !"But Ron had grabbed him by the front of his pelage, knocking his wand away. The redheaded woodpecker was vaguely aware of his friend surrounding him with wands drawn. Keeping Crabbe and Goyle at bay.

"Where did you see them ?"Ron punctuated each Good Book by shaking the Slytherin up and down."WHERE !"

"Th… Th… Third base. That corridor with the maypole painting."Ron let him go. That was right future to the dog's room.

"Mr Weasley !"McGonagall was striding across the solid ground in wrath."I never expected such red demeanour from…"

"Professor McGonagall !"Ron interrupted her ( something never done ), bringing gasps from the onlookers."Harry Potter's in danger. And so's the Philosophers Stone."

*

"Wake up Mr Potter. Rise and effulgence for the trade name new day."The prison term slid around the black cocoon of Harry's unconscious."Now now, that won ‘ t do. Up !"Pain blossomed in Harry's stomach and the pang of it pulled him back to reality. He drew himself up on the cold I. F. Stone floor shaking terribly. The long sleeves of his robe fell down over his blazonry and he realised he was back in his own body. Quirrell aimed another savage boot at Harry ‘ s chest and he sprawled on the floor again.

"You think that's pain Potter ?"Yep, sure seemed like it, at the very least he had a cracked rib."I can present you to the torture curse if you want. If you choose not to co-operate with me."Harry raised his head wearily and realised that he was in a new room. ardor blocked both doors and on a table in the centre a row of bottles stood, twinkling in the torchlight.

"Wh… where ?"

"The betrayer trial."That hadn't sounded like Quirrell. Harry looked up and saw concern in Quirrells optic.

"So."opinion Harry."He has the communicator on him. That must have been his Masters part and whoever the master is he's scared of him."

Quirrell bent over the board and read with a smile…

"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help oneself you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you travel ahead,
Another will delight the toper back instead,
Two among our figure hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay on here forevermore,
To facilitate you in your choice, we give you these clues four :
first gear, however slyly the toxicant tries to hide out
You will always chance some on nettle wine 's left side ;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend ;
one-third, as you see clearly, all are unlike size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds end in their insides ;
twenty-five percent, the second base left wing and the 2nd on the compensate
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

The wizard shook his head angrily.

"What kind of a labor is that ? You don't even need thaumaturgy. And besides, I've never taken the ordered path to get answers. I so prefer the… experimental approach."He picked up one of the bottles at random and held it out to Harry with a seedy grin."Drink up !"

*

"He's there !"Ron was shouting now. Heedless of the steady watercourse of crimson that must have been leaving the hourglass in the great manse."He's there right now having god knows wha…"

"Mr Weasley ! If you can not moderate yourself I will have you dragged to my office where I will flue your mother ! And we will talk over your continued presence at this school !"The argument had moved from the outside to the corridors as the deputy headmistress had failed to listen."As it is you are all already in enough worry for just knowing about the Harlan Fisk Stone ! Let alone disesteem to a Hogwarts professor. Two prof in fact as I think professor Quirrell will require to hear about the al-Qaida accusation you have made."

"But you don't…"Ron was brought to a freeze by a hired hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Neville holding him back with a terrified look on his face. He shook his headland quickly.

"You should heed to your friend Mr Weasley."The professor said while turning and walking down the G. Stanley Hall."Now you will all comply me to my government agency where we can decide…"

"Petrificus Totalus !"

The piranha mob watched in utter muteness as their head of house went stiff then slowly but inexorably fell backwards. Ron caught her and lowered her to the floor, ashen faced. He looked round to see Neville standing with his baton out and a horror-stricken construction on his human face.

"I… I … I had to…"Neville stuttered without moving."God, that was like cursing Gran."

Ron looked down at McGonagall grimace. A person shouldn't be able to evoke awe while only moving their eyes but somehow the set of them said there would be hell to pay.

"Ok then."Padma broke the silence."Since it seems we're going to get expelled anyway lets go get our boy."

*

"Nil for two Mr ceramicist !"Harry fell choking on the story as Quirrell took a sip of the potion he'd just proved was prophylactic."Still born lucky I see."Harry fell into a fit of coughing that wracked his body with nuisance. He pulled his head back and idly noticed the blood all over his arm. So, to a greater extent than a cracked rib then.

When he had refused to fuddle the first bottleful Quirrell had used some kind of bludgeoning curse that squashed him back to the level. As he had lain there vainly trying to get his breathing spell back Quirrell had pulled his head back and tipped the potion down his pharynx. The endorse time he had tried to resist to a greater extent and been formally introduced to the cruciatus curse. He was ashamed to say he willingly took the bottle in shaking hired hand and drank a sip himself. All the time feeling wretched and a coward.

"Now."Quirrell looked down on him almost proudly."Since you seem to have learned your lieu in this little drama."The sadist looked down for a reaction but Harry didn't rise to the sweetener. He wasn't sure he had the push too even if he had wanted."I'll let you select the next one."He waved his mitt over the remaining bottleful and stood waiting.

Harry pulled himself up on the bound of the mesa and tried to fetch a mastermind cell to bear."Hermione where are you when I need you ?"He must get said it out aloud because Quirrell laughed and said

"I could get her if you want. I'm sure she'd like to see the cruciatus condemnation. As a purely donnish subject. Of course to fully take account it I would have to do it on her as well."Harry looked from one nursing bottle to another and a slit of Song dynasty came back to him.

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their interior.
Harry's eye slid to the smallest bottle in the row. His hands shook almost too lots for him to shoot the cork out and he spilled some as he took a sip. An twinkling frigidity esthesis trickled down his throat and into his sleeve. But was this the forward potion or the back one ? It didn ‘ t really matter since Quirrell was between him and the way back, so only one way remained. Harry put his hand to his throat and pretended to exit, falling towards the fervor he took a lowering gasping breathing time.

"shenanigan ! Get Him !"DAMN IT ! Harry reacted on instinct and kicked the nearest table leg. One of the remaining potions fell between him and Quirrell, cracking on the level and bursting into blue-black flaming. That was all the misdirection Harry needed as he clawed himself off the floor and jumped headfirst into the flack.

The floor on the early side knocked the wind from him but he wasn't burnt. It had been the powerful potion.

"You will pay for that !"A strand with a lure shoot through the curtain of flame, trailing discharge.

"A screen shot."Harry thought muzzily."But I can't arrest here."

He pulled himself up and staggered along the corridor clinging to the wall. Quirrell continued to exclaim behind him but he ignored it, there was a room up ahead. He walked in and barely saw the place. All he took in was the tall mirror in the centre, familiar. Without really realising what he was doing he moved towards it and fell to the terra firma in front man of it. Oh, god everything hurt. He looked up into the mirror and saw his friends familiar faces surrounding him, filling the mirror-Harry with warmth and happiness.

"Where are you."Harry spoke to the void elbow room. He felt himself falling backwards, lonely and broken."Where are you now ?"

He floated in the wickedness for a moment then was brought back around. Instinct again waking him when he was no longer alone. He turned to see a charred figure, robes in tatters and his toque unwound and trailing behind him.

"There's always more than one way round a challenge."The vox was cracked and thirsty but good of malice and ire"You just have to think outside the box."

*

"No."Harry pulled himself away from the boost figure. Forgetting for a moment that there was nowhere to go.

"Yes Potter. What Severus seems to have forgotten…"The wretched figure said as it stalked towards Harry on ruined branch."Is that I would much rather walk through flame than accommodate failure to my master. Much, much rather."He came to a diaphragm in front of the Mirror and pointed his blackened wand at Harry.

"No wait, this won't work."He threw the wand away like garbage."But luckily I have another."He drew out Harry's wand, unblemished and pristine. He laughed at Harry's shocked face and said"Rubbed in what footling of the potion you let drop on the level. It was bound to exist beneficial than mine. After all, phoenix feathers are meant to perish through fire."He flicked the wand negligently and ropes bound Harry's wooden leg under him.

"Yes, you left just enough for the wand and for…"His hand rose involuntarily to the back of his head and a frisson of pain sensation ran across his face."But enough !"He stood in front man of the mirror, his anticipation clear on his face."I see myself presenting the Harlan Fiske Stone to my overlord. He is restoring my body, making me well again… But how do I get it ?"

"Use the boy."Quirrell grabbed his arm and jerked him back in front of the mirror. The image swam in painfulness in battlefront of him. His ally faces still stared back at him, mocking him with their happiness.

"Well boy ? What do you see ?"

"Well…"Harry though."…since I seem to be dieing anyway…"

"I see myself you charred bastard. It's a mirror."

"Crucio !"Pain obliterated the world again but soon enough he was didder awake and slammed in front of the glass.

"What do you really SEE !"

"I ‘ ve just found every deep brown frog plug-in. My collection is complete."

"Do you enjoy pain ?"Quirrell's face was twisted beyond recognition."Do you intend even for a moment that your junior-grade defiance will actually reach anything !"

"Alright fine."Harry brought a rictus grin to his aspect"I see Hagrid with a monster spiked baseball bat. He's sticking it right up your…"the world once again dissolved into painfulness.

*

"A chess set, what the…"

"Oh god look here on the floor… Blood."

"Do you think he.. ?"

"No time for this ! We need to act !"

*

Harry floated again on the ocean of agony. But this time he wasn't alone.

Brave, or maybe simply goosey.
That part again. The passe-partout.

Your parents were intrepid Harry ceramist. It didn't do them any honorable either.
"Oh so you know my parents too. Got any undecomposed anecdotes ?"He wasn't sure if he said that out loud but the voice laughed.

Oh yes. Joking in the face of bother. That is something I think your father would do.
"Yeah."Harry said as the mankind began to float back into nidus."But I've got my mothers eyes."He looked up but Quirrell was standing a ways away, curiously with his spinal column to him. Harry groped around for his eyeglasses.

"There by your elbow."The vocalisation almost had a teasing tincture to it now but Harry was struck by a I question. How did he jazz ? He pulled his glasses back on and was met by his horrific answer.

"Yes Harry."The nerve spoke with malice now, and barely controlled anger."This is what you reduced me to. Ten years ago."

"Oh my god."Harry gulped as he realised the trueness."Voldemort."

"Yes Harry Potter. nobleman Voldemort. Now do what you are secern and distinguish me what you see in the mirror."

Harry turned without wanting to and stared again into the shining surface. The faces stared back, laughing and happy.

"Their probably still out on the grass."opinion Harry. The Ron in the mirror patted him on the vertebral column."They don't know about this evilness. This darkness. They haven't seen it. They don't have to conduct with it. And they shouldn't need to."

"I see…"

"Yes… yes !"

"I see… stars."Harry smiled and flung himself at the mirror.

The crashing sound echoed through the mansion and Harry felt glass fragment cut into his peel. He tried to roll but a sharp pain in the neck in his arm caught him and he stopped, quivering.

"You FOOL."He felt himself picked up and shake like a wench."You destroyed it !"He fell to the ground again and saw Quirrell rifling through the sherd, heedless of the cuts and blood."Where is it ! Where is it ! … Gone… You knew !"The doubled head came up and looked him straight in the eye."You knew that wouldn't acquittance the Isidor Feinstein Stone !"

"Dumbledore told me."Suddenly Harry actually did feel like laughing."But on the negative face, that should be seven age bad luck."

"You.. YOU ! !"The double fauna stood quivering with rage."Well I hope you savor your victory."The thing drew Harry's wand"Because, it is the last thought you will ever have ! Avada Ked…"

"tarantella !"

The jinx spun over the brute head and broke against the far wall. Harry turned to the door and saw the Marauders standing there. Five wand pointed ramrod-straight at the thing, that had swung around to face them.

"Children."Quirrell's voice again. They probably hadn't even seen the other cheek."What are you doing here ? This surface area is forbidden."

"Put the wand down."Ron's voice quaked a short as he said it. But he kept his sceptre trained."Wand down now !"

"You wouldn ‘ t hex a teacher would you."Quirrell was playing with them. His voice was just like it had been when he'd forced the drinking on Harry."You'd get in so very much trouble."

"I ‘ ve already petrified my brain of house."Neville seemed to have left his stammer in the existence of fear and could speak calmly now he'd moved on to terror."It can ‘ t get much worse."

"You think not ? Then perhaps I should be talking out of the early side of my face."Quirrell turned on his bloc and Parvarti shrieked.

"minor !"Quirrells blazon twisted back, cracking rung at the elbows to give Voldemort restraint of the verge"I will not be stopped again by tike !"

"Petrificus Totalus !"Hermione's phonation rang out but Voldemort raised a shield disdainfully. The rebounding swearword took the young witch in the chest of drawers and she fell like a stone.

"Crucio !"Neville dropped to the ground. His grimace a masquerade of pain.

"Crucio !"Padma fell, her arms wrapped around her dresser. Screaming. He was still playing with them. He could stimulate expiry as easily as painful sensation.

"Crucio !"Ron fell in his tracks. He had tried to charge the creature.

"Im… im… obstructor !"

"Crucio !"Parvati's magic spell died on her baton and she fell beside her sister. He had to do something. He had no scepter. He had no weapon… He had spyglass. Harry pulled his too long sleeves up around his hand and picked up a long shard.

"Pathetic creatures."The face spat the speech."Unworthy of life !"Harry stepped closer careful not to touch the chalk on the trading floor."You will all die ! For defying Lord Voldemort. You will…"

"Master calculate out !"But Quirrell's monition was too recent as the farseeing shard plunged into his tummy. Him and his aggressor fell together and Harry jerked the glass out only to plunge it again into the wizards physique. His hands bled, the fabric of the gown hadn't been nearly enough to protect them. Quirrell rolled over under him and the snakelike face looked up at him in hatred.

"You can not destroy me Harry ceramist. I can not die ! Whatever you do I will render !"

"fine then snake-face."Harry raised the fragment above his nous."See you in another ten days. Do try to come back pretty next time."And plunged the shard through Voldemort's eye.

The riot spoke out through the chamber. Rising mellow and higher, louder and louder till the shards still on the storey shattered into Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin. Then the organic structure slumped like a rag chick and finally lay still.

Harry fell back drained. It felt like he had nothing left in his nervure, felt empty. He slumped on the base and looked up to see five concerned faces crowding around him. They were saying something but his judgment couldn't quite make common sense of it. The image suddenly reminded him of something and he pointed at them with a shaky hand.

"Stupid mirror."He laughed."I thought I broke you ?"Then the wickedness rolled over again and he didn't see a thing.

*

"I could just take the one…"

"Ron people left those for Harry !"

Voices ? …

"But I just want the card."

Familiar…

"It'll try to hop away when you open it !"

"Oh please that's what he's planning. Then he'll ‘ have'to eat it."

Ah…

"Maybe I'll just pack a caldron cake…"

"You so much as try it…"Harry pulled his eyes open with an effort."…and I'll hex ya digit off."

"Harry !"The piranha crowded around the infirmary bed."You awake ?"

"wellspring yeah."Harry shook his principal to clear it before answering Hermione's doubt."Why would I not be ? How long was I asleep ?"

"Days I ‘ m afraid mate."Ron shook his caput ruefully."They had to give you sleeping potion while everything healed. Did you know you broke your arm ?"

It had hurt when he rolled over, but surely he would give birth noticed ?

"How ‘ d you follow me ?"Harry groggily shook his head again."I swear all the potion got drunk."

"Dumbledore said they regenerate."Hermione answered smiling."We had to go through the chess game opus too."

"Ron was amazing."Parvati said beaming. Ron blushed and said

"Oh that, that was nothing. Anyway it was Neville got us past the devil snare !"

"Satan snares sluttish. Anyway you got the key."

"That was a squad sweat. The twins were up there too. Plus Padma worked out the dog."

"There was a broken harp on the floor. What else could it have been but music ?"

"I don't know, its allergic to harp ?"

"Children."The 1st years turned as Albus Dumbledore stepped into the hospital wing."I can not conceive of how pleased you must be that your friend is arouse however,"He continued with a sparkling in his eye as he peered over his spectacles"…it will mean that you will give birth to recover a new source of hot chocolate frogs."Ron at to the lowest degree had the decency to expect guilty."Now, if you would give us some concealment I would like to speak to your friend."The marauders filed out and Harry was left alone with the master.

"The mirror."Harry began,"Was it… worthful ?"

"Irreplaceable."Harry's stomach seemed to fall out his body."It ‘ s a dear thing it is being repaired."

"You could induce told me that bit !"Harry shook his head as he regained his venter.

"Although they may leave one shard out. It may need to be kept for posterity."

"So is he… gone then ?"Harry's vox was hopeful but something in him already knew the solution.

"Nothing about this death was any unlike from his old one. If he survived that I believe we can assume he can survive this."

"Will he do after the Oliver Stone ? I mean, when you fix the mirror you can get the Oliver Stone ?"

"Yes, and it will be destroyed."Harry breathed a sigh of relief."But it appears I was incorrectly about one thing Harry."

"Hireling a man who was literally double-dealing ?"

"No Harry."Dumbledore fixed him with a patient stare and Harry bit back a smiling."I mean that you were unable to get past my last protection. You did not get the stone."

"Yeah. What was I supposed to do ?"

"When you saw yourself in the mirror there. What did you see ?"

"The same thing as before."Harry shifted uncomfortably"You know, friends."

"So faced with the prognosis of eternal lifespan and unceasing riches, your dream remained the Same ?"

"I have a gravid deal of wealth now, and if eternal life means being someone's scalp I think I ‘ ll pass on that too."

"Very well Harry. I will not pry any further. But there is something else that we need to discuss before I let your friend back in to niggle further."

"Hm ?"

"I want you to fall to your aunt and uncles house."

"No."

"Harry, I can assure…"

"No. The answer is no Professor."Harry looked directly into the schoolmaster glittering gaze."I will not."

"You are xi Harry."professor Dumbledore put his hand on Harry's shoulder and his voice went soft."It would be negligent of me to let you leave my attention without assuring myself that you would be looked after."

"You did it once before. Left me on a doorstep."a sliver of steel entered Harry's vocalisation.

"I thought that you would be happier with family, even distant ones."

"You were awry. Would you care to see some scars by way of proof ?"

"No Harry, I see I can not sway you on this grudge. I will arrange for you to stay on at Hogwarts over the summer, it has been done before in certain circumstances."

"Thank you."Harry smiled and he saw a sure tensity lift from the air. Harry looked down at the gift arrayed in front of him and picked up one."drinking chocolate salientian ? Go on, otherwise Ron ‘ ll just take all of them."

"Thank you Harry."Dumbledore took the squirming sweet and stood up."Now I shall just visit this wings other occupant then leave you to yourself."

"Who ?"Harry looked around and spotted a pair of slider poking out from behind a curtain."Who'zat ? They Ok ?"

"Oh they ‘ ll recover quite soon."Dumbledore seemed to find something in this slightly funny."She's just sleeping off an improperly formed Petrificus curse."

"Oh."Said Harry uninterested."How soon will she get better ?"

"Hopefully after your friends leave."

*

"go hazard for legal magic !"Fred ( or St. George ) yelled as he walked down the Hogwarts express. His comrade walked beside him ringing a hand-bell up and down."I repeat ! close chance for all summer !"

"You heard that Harry ?"Ron said as his brothers walked past the marauders carriage.

"Yep."And indeed he could see the London horizon around the caravan as they pulled towards queen cross. He had asked Dumbledore if he could accompany his friends on the geartrain and the Headmaster had agreed.

"You gon na be alright over the summer on your own Harry ?"Parvarti leaned over considered him quietly."You ‘ ll write everyone right field ?"

"And you have to visit home."Ron said through a mouthful of sweets"Mums been bugging me about it ever since she found out."

"May just ingest you up on that Ron."Harry stretched as the train drew into the post."Oh, and before deception becomes illegal…"Harry took a small parcel out of his scoop, tapped it and pulled back as his bag expanded to full size.

"You brought your bag ? Why did you take your bag…"Hermione's representative became pipe and a little pall. But the doubtfulness was moot, everyone in the carriage had guessed the solvent.

"Oh, come on guys."Harry shot them a smiling and slid out of the carriage."Don ‘ t secern me you didn ‘ t see this coming ?"

"Harry ! The hero of the wizarding world can not just go AWOL !"Padma shook her school principal in mental rejection."Dumbledore will find you, or the ministry."

"The ministry can only tag me if I use magic."Harry said jumping down onto the political platform."And length counts too, I ‘ m thinking Hellenic Republic or possibly Spain. Mediterranean certainly."

"You ‘ ll never get away with this Harry."Hermione spoke but all for some understanding didn't quite conceive it. The marauder stood in a semicircle around Harry with several versions of disbelief on their faces. But after a year they had realised that Harry mostly made his own rules.

"What they gon na do ? Arrest their shining fighter ?"Harry winked and smiled his vicious genius smiling."And I ‘ ve realised something. Being a homeless floater sounds a hale lot more fun if you ‘ ve got a giant pile of gold tube to fall back on. It ‘ ll just be like going somewhere fun, to own fun."

"I think that's called a vacation Harry."

"Right, that."Harry pointed and nodded."I think I ‘ m due one of those."He turned and began walking down the platform."save every day ! But no trackable speech !"

"HARRY potter YOU GET backrest Hera ! ! !"

"Got ta go."Harry broke into a run as the teachers appeared at the other end of the weapons platform. He dodged between groups of pupil as the outcry got closer and dead reckoning between pushcart. He saw his chance, launched himself like a slingshot off the automobile trunk of an astonished student and dived through the roadblock. He kept running through Kings Cross, past groups of astonished muggles. Running for freedom.

*

"Think he'll miss ‘ em ?"

"Oh, Neville you know the answer to that."Padma smiled at the topsy-turvydom Harry had left in his wake on the platform."It's the predator first rule. ‘ You can do anything you set your idea to if you've got the nerve to see it through.'”

"I thought that was ‘ Never get caught'?"

"That one too."




Phew ... one book down ! Six to go.


Harry thrower stepped back onto British soil with a spring in his footprint and a tan fit to blind gull. Officially there was not directly wizard path across the channel save by broom or other puppet of flight. However Harry had known before he had ever held a sceptre that the most useful matter were always hidden from those in charge.

It had been by this ancient fireplace, disconnected from the rest of the flue network but with a direct liaison to a similar cakehole and portals around Europe, through which Harry had left the land weeks ago. An eleven year old can not Book a aeroplane ticket alone much to a lesser extent catch a elevator on a broom handle and even if he could do so those way of life had probably been watched.

After he was gone he'd sent a letter to Dumbledore, with a borrowed owl and an untraceable address. He'd received a ass one in reply. The Headmaster understood his decision and his pauperism for exemption, even sympathised with it. But Harry needed to be kept safe, protected.

But to Harry protected meant trapped and the reason he needed to be kept condom was the very affair he needed some freedom from. So Harry potter had spent the majority of the summertime as sea dog friction match, juggler and tumbler on various Grecian beaches. He had explored the wizarding side of the ancient country too, he had watched a school of hippocampus breaching and jump like dolphins off the coast of Aeaea and seen the colossus of Rhodes. He had walked to the synagogue of Alcmeonidae at Delphi and climbed hand-over-hand up the hanker trailing vines of ivy to where it floated in the sky. Levitated above the ‘ ruins'below and concealed from muggle eyes. But the seers that gathered there had seen through his disguise and greeted him as Harry Potter. They had treated him with an eerie respect and he had been taken to sustain tea with the current oracle. It was a encounter he would never forget…

"Sit dear one."She led him to a shock absorber on the floor and sat down herself nearby him. She looked like she was barely a year or two older than him but he knew that if he believed that he was a fool. Only her middle betrayed any breath that this was possibly the most sinewy seer in the mankind. Harry had been shocked when he first saw them, he had heard account that the gravid seers had milky E. B. White eyes showing that they were blind to the mundane. The oracle center were normal except that the fleur-de-lis of one was deep purple and the other Light Within green. Oh and the school-age child ( and Harry had had to look knockout to crap this out ) were shaped like lead.

"Thank you Pythea."Pythea wasn't her figure, the oracles held it as a championship in laurels of the low gear."But you really don't have to do any of this."

"It is not very often we receive visitors."She smiled at him with those deep eyes. Something in them betrayed a hold out sadness, a hint of the store concealed behind. Memory that spanned 100.

"If you wish to promote to a greater extent visitant your gracility. Perhaps you should install stairs."He instantly felt that perhaps he was being too associate. Harry generally ignored authority but the quiet power of the small little girl before him ( even sitting as she was, barefoot in a simple T. H. White dress ) was voiceless to abnegate. Anyway he didn't he didn't want there to be stair. Too many citizenry, especially too many tourist, would smash this peaceful place.

"Yes, that is why we do not have them. And no, I prefer that you speak freely before me."Harry looked up lost and she laughed. It sounded like falling water."Your occlumency is quite good for one doing it unconsciously. But access to thoughts is one of the gifts that comes with being… this."The sadness was back in her eyes for a moment then she reached forward and poured him a glass of water out of a grandiloquent fluted jug.

"Thank you."Harry took it and sipped it. It smelled wish mountain air. He grinned and looked down at it speculatively."Is this going to ready me see visual modality or surpass out ?"

"Those affair are more probable to happen if you do not drink it seeing as you climbed for half an hr in the summer sun."

"Mad dog and so on…"Harry took another swig of the scented drink and asked."But, why did you invite me up here ? Why am I sitting, joking, with the not bad prophet in the world."

"I wanted to meet you myself. I ‘ ve heard about you of line, the boy who lived. You are not what I expected."

"Oh."Harry looked down guiltily. He knew he was a bit of a disappointing hoagy but coming from her it seemed sorry.

"You are anything but a disappointment Harry. I think you are adequate to the task ahead of you, more than equal. I look into your individual and what I see gives me slap-up Hope. You are more than you think you are Harry, you are far more than than you, or anyone else, realises. You must trust that you know the way you need to take the air, not anyone else, and above all you must trust yourself."

"Really."Harry's pharynx was suddenly very dry. He took another gulp of water supply."Anything else ?"

"I like your eyes."

Harry coughed and spluttered and the piffling seer laughed. He realised she was teasing him.

"You're a bratwurst !"He sniped at her.

"Am I ?"She seemed to appear far away for a moment then come back down to Earth."Why do you say that ?"

"Because you ‘ re teasing me ! You're a seer, aren ‘ t you supposed to be telling me my future tense or something ?"

"Do you really want to live ?"She seemed amused."Really ?"Harry thought about it for a second.

"No. No, if I knew what was gon na encounter it wouldn ‘ t be any fun."

"Good."She smiled."Good choice. But I think I will give you something anyway. In exchange for a future not told."She dipped her bridge player into a air hole of her dress and drew out a chandelier on a braided leather cord. Harry leaned closer and saw that it was made of sea cuticle, glittering like it had just been plucked from the water. She held it out towards him.

"hair's-breadth please."She commanded and he obediently lifted his shaggy mane up so that she could tie the cord behind his sunburnt neck.

"What is it ?"Harry lifted the shell to search at it closer but it didn't have any markings at all. It looked like it was made of two pointed spiral shells, hanging erect from its clasp. Harry looked closer and saw that the very seat point was tinged commons and the very top tinged purple."Is it magic ?"

"Yes."

"Are you gon na evidence me what it does ?"

"No."

"Meany."Harry tucked the pendent into his t-shirt and felt it drop down near his heart.

"You ‘ ll find out what it does eventually. But you will have to learn a few things for yourself before you do. Call it a little piece of your future."She took his hand and raised him to his feet."Now I am afraid I must say goodbye. The responsibility of my office call."She seemed genuinely sad to see him go and Harry suddenly wondered if she was lonely up here.

Not trusting himself to talk Harry bowed for the starting time prison term in his liveliness and walked towards the door.

"Oh and when you go back to Hogwarts."The little girlfriend said as he reached for the handle."Could you tell Sybill Trelawney to stop owling me. please ?"

Harry climbed back down and walked a little ways away before turning around and gazing back at the peacefully drifting building, floating over the horizon. Digger flapped down on a rock 'n' roll next to him and handed him a letter. He took it without reading it and slipped it in his pocket, still thinking. Then he walked over to a clump of flowers sprouting out of the stone nearby and picked some of the bombastic ones.

"Up there please."Harry nodded towards the temple while holding the flowers out to his owl."Pythea. And be careful."The owl obediently took off and Harry walked off down the route with his head still full of thoughts.

It had not been long after that when he found his way to the krybo-lakkos market place in Greek capital and to the odd pottery lamp chimney that connected to the under-flue and that could get him nursing home.

*

"Five Galleon ‘ s. Here."The market keeper pointed to a pot next to his hard cash cash register. Harry nodded to him while dusting himself off and dropped five of the gold coins in the jar. This holiday had cost him surprisingly little, tourists had liked his juggle on the beaches and liked his witty input even more. The galleons to get there and the galleons back was probably more than he'd spent the altogether time in between.

Harry stepped out into a gloomy alley and set off away from the shop. Walking quickly he made for the lighter end of the street where he could listen more hoi polloi moving. People turned to stare at his bright summery vesture in the dark and shadowed street and he heard grumbling and muttering. A bony hand fell on his shoulder and he broke into a run. Shadowy figures leapt out at him and More script tried to gain leverage, Harry broke off as his way ahead was blocked and he sprinted down a side street. He could see the hopeful sounds of diagonally ahead of him and sprinted as hard as he could.

Suddenly he hit what felt like a rubber rampart, picking him up and bouncing him back into the swarthiness.

"What the… ?"But there was no time to imagine. design were closing in and Harry dove in the paired focus. He slipped down another route.

Thomas More cloaked dead body seemed to pop out of every shadow. The small boy dodged down another street and found himself at a dead end. The entrance to the alley was blocked by a small crowd, five or so necromancer and witches in night nark gown blocked his way back.

Harry slipped his wand out of his pocket into his right wing hand. His eyes scanned the walls around him but they were straight up and down. No handholds. The crew advanced on him with hands out. Harry crouched down, if he was gona die he was prepared to die like a rat in a corner. Biting and scratching till the last.

"What have we here ?"A scabby and dishevelled enchantress said with a cackle."minor shouldn't be in knockturn bowling alley. Something bad could happen."She reached out towards him and Harry's hand tightened on his wand.

"Stand aside hag !"A flash of red Inner Light shot from the early end of the alley and the witches hair burst into flame.

She shrieked and jumped away while the others tried to put out the fire. This left Harry with a clear view down the alleyway to the man standing there, his foresightful wand out.

"Never fear young knave !"The man said in a boom voice."Markus Albert Abraham Michelson is here !"

*

"Who in the… Hey !"Harry tried to object but the man had reached him in three recollective step and picked him up with one handwriting."Put me down ! Put me down !"

"silence down pipsqueak."The man set off out of the alley with Harry held almost nonchalantly in the twist of his heavily muscled arm."You're in safe hands now."

Harry tried to pry the fingers off of him but the human being grip was like a frailty. Harry continued to contend until they got out into the safer harbour of diagonally and he was dumped unceremoniously on the floor.

"For person being rescued by the great warrior, adventurer, lover and explorer that the world has ever known."The man put his fist on his hips and bent down to put his face near Harry's."You sure don't seem to be intimate how display you're grateful."

Harry sat up and checked himself over before replying. For a moment his hand rested on the leather corduroy around his neck then he looked up and responded.

"Yeah, sorry. Thank you. Thanks."The man reached out a hand and pulled Harry to his ft.

"Not to occupy. I'd imagine getting stuck down a dead end in knockturn alley is a lilliputian terrorization for someone not as… imposing… as me."He tucked his wand in his belt ammunition and Harry looked him up and down. Even without taking his hat into account the man was easily seven feet tall and had berm like a ox. He wore compact leather boots and leather trouser above them, fitting tightly over muscled legs. The smash was snake skin and he had what looked like creature tooth tied hanging off it so they clattered as he moved. Above that he wore a physique fitting red vest that left his arms bare. Harry could see the bound of a tattoo peeking up amongst his chest hair and another on his bicep. Further down his weaponry he wore two ear bands. To top it all off the man wore a cowboy hat over his thick blond whisker with a foresightful red feather tucked into the striation on one slope and three rifle heater on the former.

"Who are you ?"

"persuasion I introduced myself before. Never thinker, probably slipped your mind in all the excitement."The man struck a pose."I am Markus Maximus A. A. Michelson. felicitous to make your conversancy pipsqueak."

"My epithet is Harry."Odd to hear that after a summertime of manual laborer.

"trade good to meet you piffling Harry. Now…"the man looked around at the crowds"…where are you meeting your parents. Can't leave you alone out here since you seem to attract worry. You slight tyke."He ruffled Harry's hair as if he was a fiddling kid, earning himself Harry's unceasing hatred.

"…um. The ice cream place."Harry lied with a straight face."Their probably waiting."

"Good, good."The man grabbed his arm again and set a lively pace through the crowd. There were a lot of mass this clock time of day but they parted to let Markus through. Harry had hoped that when they reached Fortescue's ice emollient parlour the odd wizard would leave him alone. He did nothing of the sort however and sat down at a board, leaning far back on his chair and tucking his thumb in his smash grommet. Harry was just wondering why he was waiting around when the reason walked up to the table.

"Can I get you anything Mr Michelson."The waitress was a young witch, probably not far out of Hogwarts, and she blushed as she spoke to Harry's rescuer.

"My piffling friend here needs a chocolate Dominicus to sedate him down. He's just been in a bit of a pasty situation down knockturn alleyway. For myself just seeing you smile is all the sweet I need, and please…"he plucked a chicken daisy out of air and set it behind the lady friend ear"…call me Maximus."

"You helped him ?"

"Oh no."persuasion Harry."She was here in conclusion summertime. She knows who I am."

"You saved Harry Potter ! Oh, you ‘ re so brave and like, strong !"

"Harry Potter.. ?"The man looked at him for a moment with a spark smile then turned back"Yes I did. And yes, I am rather stiff. Mighty is my middle name."The fille swooned and rushed off to get Harry's ice cream. When she was gone the man turned back and fixed him with the smile again. Harry crossed his munition.

"Thought your center epithet was Maximus."

"Nope, Mighty."The man flexed his bicep and Harry was able to read the tattoo there. It was five Ms written one after another. The man pointed at the it with his other hand."Markus Maximus Mighty Majesto Albert Abraham Michelson"he tapped the monogram with his fingerbreadth."But the first gear of my eye names is my personal deary. So these parents that we're waiting for…"

"My friends parents."Harry fabricated."I ‘ m living with them this summer. I didn ‘ t explain because I prefer to go under the radio detection and ranging a bit, you know."

"Can ‘ t honestly say I do little man."Harry's sunday appeared and he began eating it quickly."How can you not take the air down the street and feel the basking adoration of the people Harry. I owe it to my legend to be seen, in the hope that I inspire young whelp like you to become just like me. Its my responsibility Harry, as a man."

"Oooo."The waitress had stuck around to listen to Marcus speak and was now holding her hands clasped together over her chest."You're so smart as well as so hansom. You're like a poet or a radio set mavin or something."

Harry rolled his eyes and finished his ice cream quickly as the vain wizard chatted to ( or more accurately chatted up ) the girl. Harry dropped the damage of the meal on the mesa.

"Ah, there they are."Harry pointed off in a random direction and got up."See you."

"Sure I will Harry."The man said cryptically before turning back to the other aim of his attention.

*

Harry moved quickly once he was out of the gentleman sight and slipped into Gringots. He got money out more quickly than he should get by simply ignoring the queue and asking for Greeklunk. His old goblin conversancy quickly helped him replenish his sac for another year. While he was down in the burial vault Harry stuck his tee shirt in his bag and instead took out a tenacious robe with a hood. At Greeklunk's confused expression he said…

"Someone back up on the street that I ‘ d rather didn ‘ t recognise me."

"Oh right wing. Bloody paparazzi."

Harry stepped back out into the street and did his school shopping quickly. When he walked back retiring Fortescue's the wizard was still there, showing the waitress a long scar on his arm.

*

Harry stood in the country lane and rechecked the letter he held in his mitt. He was sure he was at least in the right Greenwich Village and probably on the rectify road. It was just that the road went a long way in both commission and Ron's advice on getting to his star sign had been rather vague. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the letter away and shrugged, there was always another way. He walked over to a where a Fannie Farmer was sitting near his tractor, fiddling with something in the locomotive.

"Hi. I'm looking for the menage of ginger people who keep hooter as pets."

"Down the lane, good turn left at the co-op."The man said without looking up."And tell the man I need my sprain back."

*

Harry had to resist the urge to damp into a run as he caught spate of the Weasley house. Outside it in the overgrown garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden wall. Harry smiled, they were expecting him today but he hadn't exactly been capable to give them an take time. As he walked closer the door to the theater opened and molly Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his family ) emerged, carrying a tray with drinks on it. Behind her a young girl ( must be Ginny ) stepped outside and leaned against the doorpost looking bored. None of them seemed to hold noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his appearance a bit. As he stepped up to the front line gate he spread his arms spacious.

"Aloha !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprise"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to meet him, but the most extreme reaction came from the youngest Weasley. Ginny went dead lily-white under her hair and her lip seemed to motivate as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still open room access.

"She has some variety of objection to aloha ?"Harry asked the ginger crowd.

"Nah, mate."Ron shook his mind."She ‘ s been jumping and squeaking every time we so much as mentioned your figure. Guess you in the form was just too practically for her."

"Ron, be nice to your sister."Mrs Weasley's voice was stern for a moment then turned mild again as she turned back to Harry."She ‘ s just shy Harry. I ‘ m sure she ‘ ll get over it the more she sees of you."

"Probably."Agreed Harry"The hero thing doesn ‘ t end. I ‘ ve been told on retell occasions that I ‘ m a massive disappointment."

"Who told you that ?"Molly Weasley looked aghast.

"Snape."

"Yeah but he said you had floberworms for brains too."Said Ron."And we're fairly sure that's not true."

"Right."Chimed in one of the twins."We ‘ re pretty certain they ‘ re doxy droppings."

"At least that's up the evolutionary scale."

*

But Ginny's odd behaviour didn't full point. Harry found that she was unequal to of staying in a room that he was in and that any effort to speak directly to her was adequate to station her scurrying away. One morning when he came down and found her curled up on the sofa with a magazine he decided to put a stoppage to it.

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to fly."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat next to her on the couch. She looked like a pocket-sized gnawer confronted by a snake, center widely outdoors and too frighten to run."Can you severalise me why you run every prison term I try to let the cat out of the bag to you or enter the room ?"Silence, except for the twitching she could have been petrified."looking Ginny I don't know what it is but could you please let the cat out of the bag to me. We ‘ re going to be going to schooltime together for the next six years. Could you blab out to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to filtrate to hear her deliquium whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

"Oh you ‘ re still thinking about that ?"Harry waved his hand dismissively."That happened ages and historic period ago. No one cares about that. Apparently Markus Mandy Albert Michelson is everyone's grinder now."

"You ‘ ve got the scar."

"I ‘ ve got a lot of scars. Which one in specific ?"Ginny reached out to designate at his forehead and Harry brushed away the hair's-breadth to reveal the scar. But apparently this was too much for Ginny and she bolted up the stairs almost knocking over Ron.

"What ‘ s that about ?"He asked sleepily.

"She ‘ s still shy around me. That sucks."

"Why are you so messed up about it."Ron asked. Then looked up as if he remembered something."You were acting like this about Hermione too, last year. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

"You ‘ re not gon na climb up a chimney again are you Harry ?"

"No Ron but I think I do think I need to take drastic action to correct this situation."Harry thought for a moment then latched onto a brilliant plan. An baffle programme. Possibly the greatest plan he had ever devised."You have a few brooms here right ?"

"quintet last time I looked. My old one, the twins, Harry Hotspur's and one Charlie left here."

"Excellent. I would wish to make for some Quidditch."

"But Harry you can ‘ t free rein Quidditch. The net time you got on a broom you made a complete tomfool of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

This was the tough plan he had ever come up with.

"You have to follow through."Ron made a jabbing apparent movement with the flat of his hand. That meant follow through Harry knew, the hand sign were about all he ‘ d picked up during the game."Just concentrate on following through. That was the problem that time."

"No Ron, the problem was that I flew into a tree."Harry tumbled to the ground and skewer out a foliage."What's the signal for ‘ You're about to fly into a tree ‘ ?"

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to forge it just for you."Ron helped him back on his broom and they flew back up to get together the twins. Ginny was sitting a piffling style away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the Tree she had jumped up in jolt. But as Ron and the twin had begun laughing at him he had seen a shadow of a grinning cross her face as well. That shadow was all that was keeping him from giving up the intact endeavour and getting his pes back on solid ground.

"Right."Ron said as they hovered at their end of the slant."You make for the right hand side. I ‘ ll pull them off to the left field then pass it to you. Then you can tally. Got it ?"

"Aye aye captain !"Harry saluted and almost overbalanced.

"Oh and by the way, from now on this…"Ron grinned and put both fists out straight ahead."… from now on that means tree."

"I would perforate you Ron, but I ‘ d gloam off if I tried."Harry began moving off to the right and saw his booster shoot away with the Quaffle. After a instant Ron turned and chucked it ahead of him. He rushed forward to catch it, fumbled it, then snagged it in one script.

"I got it ! I got…"clump !

Harry struck the ground hard and rolled to a full stop in the long sess.

"Ow."Harry put his hand to the spinal column of his head and sat up. Looking right into the facial expression of Ginny Weasley. She had run over to see if he was alright and now stood, wide eyed before him.

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a shake off hand."Stop being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A small stochasticity brought him back to the present and he looked forward. Ginny had her deal over her back talk and was trying hard not to express mirth. Little sound kept escaping like steam out of a kettleful.

"You ‘ ve got steam in your mouth !"Harry tried to get up and fell back on his behind."Like urine but… broken. Where are my chalk ? The four of you should be able to find them."And with that Ginny burst out laughing.

The four Weasley's carried him off the tar and Fred and Saint George ( who seemed to have experience with head hurt for some reason ) pronounced him ticket.

"Maybe we should take a break."Ron said worriedly."You know, impart him sentence to recover."

"punter idea."Harry tossed his Scots heather to Ginny."You take my spot. I am never ever ever ever ever ever getting on one of those again. From now on I walk where I need to go."

"Hey ! I don't want her on my team."Ron said angrily."That ‘ s not fair when we're already behind !"

"Ron…"Harry pitched his voice to match Mrs Weasley's"Be nice to your babe ! And besides, your choices are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

"See ! No one can work over my squad !"Harry grinned and slapped his breast as the biz drew to an official close.

"What do you mean your team."Ginny glided past him smiling and laughing."When you went off you were eight goals down. How can you say you won ?"

"The team won."Harry explained with tangle manus gestures."And we all played a contribution in that."

"And your persona is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



bill : Right, thats the second yr started.

Interesting news about Dumbledore, but it makes sense when you look back on it. Energy sort of make it more tragic however. The champion of accepting people for who they were died without ever himself being accepted. He probably never even told anyone. The bit about how he did n't go against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole thing in a new light. What if Grindlewald was well aware of Dumbledores feelings and used him to gain power in safety ? Knowing full wellspring that Dumbledore was the only one who could have posibly stopped him. Ah well ...

This is why we need JK Rowling to write some prequels.


# include `` standard legal disclamer.h ''

Ok, thats a very nerdy caper but thats fine 'cos anyone who laughed is just as nerdy.






Kings hybridization was crowded beyond belief as the Weasley clan crossed the station towards platform nine and three quarters.

"Hurry up."Mrs Weasley herded her versatile accusation towards the roadblock."right field. seed everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the redheads scene through the barrier. Harry waited until last, as the summer had drawn to a close he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book inclination but perhaps that had been automatic.

"You go first. I ‘ m fine."Harry motioned Mrs Weasley ahead of him."I want to revel my lowest moment of freedom."She disappeared through the roadblock and Harry took a deep breathing spell. There wasn't much more he could do to put this off. He started running forwards, lowered his read/write head and closed his center as he reached the roadblock.

Crack ! Harry bounced back and fell to the solid ground gasping. The roadblock hadn't opened ! He put his handwriting to his forehead and it came back bloody. His brain reeled.

"They don't want me back."Harry blinked and looked up at the clock. less than a minute till the gear was supposed to leave."They expelled me."

Harry stayed on the floor despite the odd looks he was getting. There didn't seem to be much distributor point in getting up. The clock ticked over the time of day. The train was leaving.

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of smoke rise from beyond the trail. Where was the adept platform anyway ? A mad idea struck Harry and he was stood back up in a flash. His feet seemed to strike of their own agreement and he took first one then another halting stair along the weapons platform. Another wisp of green goddess. He broke into a run and willed his ramification to impart him faster and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a galvanise conductor at the end of the platform and jumped down onto the lead."It takes a patch to rush up."He pumped his ramification for extra speed.

"Digger !"Harry reached onto his backpack and flicked his owl's cage spread."pinch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry stroke to the edge of the gear caterpillar tread and looked down. The normal, muggle wagon train tracks coming out of kings crown of thorns were raised up on a sort of long bridge, raising them various storey above the city streets. Harry glanced down in time to see the end of the Hogwarts express squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge circuit and read/write head off down a racecourse that looked disused. Up ahead the track rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d possess to do it now.

"Please ! Oh god please let me still be born prosperous !"Harry prayed silently, then launched himself off the face.

He crashed into the top of the lastly carriage and hung onto it for dearly life. The gear was beginning to pick up speed and Harry crawled to the edge. Thankfully the carriages window was candid. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry ceramist. Nice to run into you."He said to the aghast first years who's baby buggy he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the door. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the storey. He wanted to get up and see his friends but for some reason none of his limbs seemed to work. He caught a glimpse of himself in the methamphetamine hydrochloride in front of him and blinked in shock. He looked a wreck ! Blood ran down the lead slope of his human face and was matted into the whisker above.

"M… Mr Potter."Harry looked around and saw the enchantress with the trolley standing looking at him. Harry gulped for air.

"Two cauldron cakes please."He said, trying to think of something that would calm his nerves.

She wordlessly handed him the bar and took the monetary value of them without once taking her eyes off him. When he was about to leave she finally said.

"Did you… just… jump onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his oral sex"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be crazy to jump on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the railroad train as quietly as he could. Trying to recover his admirer without drawing too a great deal attention. Unfortunately talk travelled fast on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't go five steps without encountering another stare or pass a chemical group of educatee without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So silly care seeking potter ten-strike again."The interpreter was behind him. Harry turned around and sagged when he saw Malfoy and his lout staring at him.

"Malfoy I really don't have the DOE for this now."It was true. Harry would have liked doing nothing more than simply collapsing on the storey there for the remainder of the journeying."Could you please, and I mean this in the prissy possible way, bugger off and die like the diseased piece of dilate rectum build you are."

"Big talk of the town for a kid who can barely stand."Malfoy took a stride forward and Harry retreated."And I don't see your little friends here to help you today. This may just be my lucky day."The three Slytherins advanced on him and Harry drew his wand when…

"potter !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the carriage. Malfoy and his bodyguard disappeared through a door."How in Merlin ‘ s epithet did you get here ?"She grabbed him and pulled out her baton, touching it calmly to the cut on his head then whisking away the blood on his case."I just spent an unpleasant few minutes arguing with molly Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to bar the gearing. She seemed to be under the belief that the barrier had sealed with you on the other side."

"It did."Harry nodded."That's how I hurt my head."

"But then. How did you get here ?"

"You honestly, really and truly don't want to know."

"Harry…"

"I jumped onto the train."

"YOU JUMPED ONTO THE train !"

"The barrier had sealed up ! There wasn ‘ t any other way ! And besides, I had a head harm. I ‘ m not sure I was in an entirely noetic skeletal frame of mind."

"That is beside the point Mr ceramicist, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of last class I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will have to discuss this further in my office at Hogwarts. At the very least you will receive respective sidereal day detention."

"But if I have detention…"Harry grasped at this drinking straw"… then I ‘ m not expelled ? right ?"

"No Mr ceramist. Not this time."She began walking away down the string."Go to my office when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the sort ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"Professor please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to fool McGonagall. She acts tough but she's all mushy inside."… my friend's sister's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her brothers are in Gryffindor, altogether family really. I should be there for her. Please ?"

"Alright Mr ceramist. After the sorting."McGonagall's eyes had gotten softer as Harry had spoken."But before the feast."

"Of row Professor. I ‘ ll be there."

"And I will owl Mrs Weasley to inform her you are safe."She turned away and Harry was left alone once again in the corridor.

*

Harry eventually found the Marauders compartment and slid the door surface.

"hullo freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's mouth dropped open."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the platform !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the nook of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to restrain an eye on her."Had to get incoming to the train by… other means."

"Apparation ?"Padma had apparently also caught some sun over the summertime, though it was less noticeable on her."You do know that's illegal."

"Couldn ‘ t care less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to reckon for a consequence."Or a heather ?"

"No."Ron and Ginny spoke at the same time but Ginny backed down and Ron continued."Harry swore blind he ‘ d never touch another broom."

"Oh god I know what it is."Parvarti put her manus to her sassing and began shaking her question."I was talking to Lavender down the other end of the train. I thought she was joking."

"What is it ?"Hermione asked and the predator seemed to hang waiting for the answers.

"You jumped onto the top of the train."The piranha turned as one to look at him.

"Maybe."None of his friends seemed to want to speak.

"Harry ..."Neville broke the quiet."…you ‘ re crazy."

"I know."Harry sat as the early snapped out of their shock and started speaking all at once."It ‘ s beginning to occupy me."

*

The railroad train meandered its long journey through the hills and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His head still hurt and he didn't have the free energy to entertain people. He leaned against the cold window as rain started to blotch down, leaving little lead on the window pane. He closed his eyes and lay there for a tenacious spell. short lead of water, swirling, drowning.

"Harry."He shook himself awake and looked over at the youngest Weasley, leaning over to him."Are you alright ?"Harry looked around the compartment, the residual of his friends were still talking amongst themselves."You ‘ re face was all scrunched up like you were dreaming."

"Oh, are we there yet."Harry kind of wanted to get back to sleep. Even if it was to bad ambition.

"Not for a while."Ginny bit her lip worriedly. Harry noticed that her fingernails too looked like they had been chewed.

"Worried ?"Harry grinned as she jerked in surprise. Harry waved his hand dismissively."Don't trouble. You ‘ ll love it there. lesson are easily, specially charms. ally everywhere. Plus if any of the Slytherins bother you we can show some swift vengeance. We're feared by that house."

"That ‘ s kind of what I ‘ m worried about."Ginny glanced at the red edge on Harry's robes.

"Ah."thought Harry."My conjecture was right, and I just made that up to cushion up McGonagall."

"You ‘ re worried about the sorting."Harry said out brassy."Want to be Gryffindor ?"

"Yes. If I don't my buddy ‘ ll never forgive me."

"Then separate it so."Harry looked at the Loretta Young girls startled look."You know what the sorting hat is right on ?"nod."Then distinguish it you want to be a Gryffindor. Don't take no for an answer. It's your animation, don't let a hat make decisions for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his heart again.

*

"What the hell ?"Ron voiced what they were all thought process as the predator moved away from the train at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to take her little boat drive and the six friends now stood in presence of a line of bearing, each drawn by a reduce leprose horse with folded leathery wings."Charlie told me the carriages pulled themselves ?"

"Maybe they've changed since your sidekick day."Said Harry climbing into one of them."And besides…"He looked around"No one else seems to think anything's amiss."

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in front line of the entrance hall as the sorting hat finished its song. She was so spooky she wanted to bite her nails despite the face they were already worn to the pith. Well, at least she was a Weasley. Her name would be called near to last. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor table spinning three fork in the air in front of him. She tried to overhear his eye but failed, he was talking to his substantial friends. Everyone began to pay attending as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the sorting I ‘ d like to herald two things. One is that, despite what this vacate hot seat seems to show, we have found a new Defence Against the Dark fine art teacher."Ginny looked along the teachers table and saw a lank-haired professor grimace. She giggled, that must be professor Snape."Sadly he could not be here tonight as he has been managing the raptus of his belongings from abroad. Rest assured that he has my full confidence and he will inaugurate himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired professor just grimace even more ?"…in your beginning object lesson with him tomorrow. Now the endorse thing is that we will be doing this age sorting backwards."

"What ?"That prompted a murmuring about the hall.

"Yes, shout it an old human being fancy. Now let us continue so that we can revel a brilliant feast after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmuring hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her place, the expression on her face clearly showing that the master had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her paper and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

"What ! Oh…"Ginny thought as she walked out in front of the schoolhouse."Backwards…"The stopping point matter she saw before she pulled the hat down over her eyes were the predator turning to keep an eye on her.

"Another Weasley, seems I see those on almost a yearly cornerstone. But a Weasley miss ? Why I haven't seen one like you in…"

"I chose Gryffindor."It seemed to her that the hat gasped loudly all around her.

"That's not quite how it works Weasley girl."

"No. That is how it works. Harry told me I could pick out my house. I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Quite brave of you to just scream it out it like that. Almost force out me to nibble Gryffindor."Shout it out ? …Oh god !

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out loud ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the manor hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every face had an identical visage of blow out of the water astonishment. Her eyes searched out her brothers at the Gryffindor table. Sir Henry Percy had buried his facial expression in his script and seemed to be trying to guess it all wasn't natural event, Fred and George were watching her with huge iniquity grins and Ron, Ron just looked confused. Her oculus flickered past Ron to Harry and their gaze locked, then the boy did the unexpended thing, he pulled up his sleeve, put his hand thenar out and stab forward.

Follow through

Ginny glanced back at the teachers table, where every aspect mirrored the astonishment of the students. She glanced back to Harry and he jabbed again. Well, if she was gon na follow through then there was only one thing for it ...

"Yep."She said, trying to not receive her interpreter rupture out in whine."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her head, set it down on the chair and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the manse, the rustle rising, the teachers, everything. There was a seat next to Harry and she was sitting in it. She reached the bench and hopped onto it, everyone was looking at her.

"Stay perfectly calm."Harry's representative but she swore his rim barely moved."Look straight ahead and don't give them any sign they're getting to you."Easy for him to say ! She stayed exactly where she was as the silence crawled on. Then something touched her hand by her side. A confect of some kind. Without a word, and before the unsounded stares of the unit hall, she brought out, bring out and calmly ate a liquorice wand.

Every eye in the Charles Martin Hall turned as they heard McGonagall crystallize her throat then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the hall had been holding its breath the intact clock time and now let it out in a moving ridge of chatter. Ginny felt someone gonorrhoea her on the binding and looked sideways into Harry's brass.

"Thank you."Ginny breathed through the disturbance."I didn ‘ t know what to do. I didn't even realise I was talking out loud."

"Figured as much."Harry said glibly and offered her another liquorice wand."in effect thing I was paying care, who the hell on earth is Ginevra Weasley ?"

The small boy with exquisitely waxed hair and sunglasses apparently named winner Kingston had reached the hat and was looking down at it worriedly. He looked like he was about to pick it up then looked at the tabular array in the hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the plus side you may have started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to sing to her again."On the minus McGonagall's gon na kill you…"

A vague looking girl was now looking at the hat thoughtfully before declaring that she was going to"The red haired miss's house."

"Are you our new house mascot Ginny ?"Fred leaned over and grinned at his sister.

"We could make up some new banners if you like."His similitude leaned in from the former face of the mesa.

"Leave her twins."Harry was holding her by both shoulder away from her honest-to-goodness brothers."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a hybridizing house revolution and all in battlefront of the entire schooling !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from behind."You can ‘ t have her ! She ‘ s ours !"

"What's he talking about."Ginny didn't think she could grin more than than she was as she shot the query at her comrade across the table. But it was Parvarti Patil who answered her.

"He means that you ‘ re the type of person who goes for what they want and has the nerve to see it through and doesn ‘ t care what the rules say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her hand"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador home ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually enceinte division of showtime long time. Filch had to make a motion some of the beds.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first detention with McGonagall that Nox ( polishing century and hundreds of boldness release that were just going to be transfigured into mallet anyway ) he leaned on the wall near the portrayal mess and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Harry ceramist sir !"

Harry opened his optic and immediately realised his head wound must have been worse than he thought. The Hallucination had long pointy ears and was wearing some sort of ragged cloth like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry ceramicist should never have got on the train !"

"Who ?"Harry shook his head but the small figure remained"What and/or who are you ?"

"Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."The odd slight beast bowed to him, its wind almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly sorry to have caused trouble for such a great ace as Harry ceramicist. But Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts !"

"Caused trouble ? What fuss ?"Harry slid off the wall and stood heterosexual. His verge was inconveniently tucked in an inside pouch, surd to progress to. Was this animal a threat ?"What are you talking about ?"

"Dobby thought that perhaps if Harry potter was hurt he wouldn ‘ t be able to go to Hogwarts."

"What precisely…"Harry heavily enunciated the Book"… are you talking about."

"Dobby thought that if the platform closed…"

"That was you !"Harry snapped forward like a guesswork and caught the little creature by the arms. The matter whined and tried to break out away but he held on."I could have missed the bloody string !"The animal nodded and whimpered a little more."I could have been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the rubber wall. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's eyes."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the affair up and shook it roughly."Are you trying to kill me ? Are you ?"The elf was truly crying now and Harry let him go. The pitiful thing crawled away from Harry and sat on the floor, looking up at him with its huge, binge filled middle. It looked like a kicked puppy.

"feeling, I ‘ m sorry."Harry reached out towards the elf but it shied away."I didn ‘ t mean value to hurt you. The hospital wing isn ‘ t far, can I…"

"No !"Dobby's face became a mask of fright."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never know. Dobby isn ‘ t harm, Dobby gets far regretful than this at family. Dobby's masters are…"the elf seemed to stiffen for a present moment then he rushed over to the wall and began hitting his head on it heavy.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"wait ! Hey, Stop !"Harry was torn between the need to turn back it hurting itself and trying to avoid grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his robe off, quickly balled it up and ( between caput bounciness ) slid it between Dobby and the bulwark. The wretched elf continued on for a mates of strike, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the storey.

"Thank you sir."The elf's voice was a little quaky."Dobby almost spoke ill of his masters."

"Dobby…"Harry saw a pauperism to tread carefully here."If, IF think of ! Hypothetically I asked who your masters were. Would you accept to penalize yourself ?"The elf quickly nodded.

"If I asked you to publish it ?"nod.

"If I asked you to act it out like charade ?"The elf appeared to consider about this, cocking its head to the position. Then he nodded.

"If I asked you to state me why you want me to entrust Hogwarts ?"the elf's head stayed very still."How much can you tell me without having to punish yourself ?"

"Danger. Dobby knows that danger has come to Hogwarts. Death…"

"If I asked you whether your masters were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF remember, if I asked you that would you let to penalize yourself ?"

Dobby nodded. Harry smiled, that meant his captain were involved. Otherwise why would he be forbidden to tell anyone ?

"And is I asked what form the danger would take ?"

But at this Dobby shook his head furiously and put his hands over his ears. The pitiable elf began rocking backwards and forwards and keening.

"It ‘ s OK Dobby. You don't have to secern me."The rocking stopped and the elf uncurl.

"Harry ceramist will pull up stakes Hogwarts ?"

"No. But I will be measured, very careful."

"Harry potter must leave, Harry thrower is in danger."

"I usually am Dobby."Harry leaned forward conspiratorially."That just makes it more fun."





Please reassessment, especially if you think it 's bad. Really, it 'll serve me improve.


"curiosity if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the irregular long time wandered to the defence against the dark arts classroom. They had the class 1st period Monday, so would be the outset to meet the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s strange, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just enquire if he ‘ ll be a good teacher."Hermione hung her pass a fiddling."After a twelvemonth of… of bad teaching we need to catch up. We ‘ ll be favourable if we can puddle it up in time for the OWLs."Harry could separate she had been about to say Quirrell, but had stopped herself. As far as he could differentiate none of his friends wanted to think about the events at the end of last year.

"Well, so long as he only has one facial expression, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his head and laughed."right hand ?"The others stopped for a mo, then grinned with him."cerebration so. Anyway…"Harry was the first to the threshold and pushed it open."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do a great deal sorry can we ?"

"Pipsqueak ! Told you I ‘ d see you again !"

"No…"Harry looked across the way at Markus Maximus Michelson"…please no…"

"convey a seat up figurehead my good lad ! I can already distinguish this is going to be one of your favourite classes !"The marauders filed in the nominal head row and the other student moved in behind them. All of them looking a little apprehensively at the booming muscled figure in front of them.

"The figure's professor Markus Triple-M A. A. Michelson. I ‘ ll be your Defence against the dark arts teacher this year. Thought I ‘ d use up a break from the globe-trotting to turn over on some of my knowledge to the succeeding propagation !"He swept his hat off and spin it across the way, it landed neatly on top of a suit of armour."Oh and by the way the Ms stand for Maximus, Mighty and Magesto but they might as well stand for Muscular, Magical and about of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fists on his hips."So, on to the matric !"He grabbed the register off the board and began yelling out names, variously chuckling at the odd name and winking at any girl who answered him quickly. When he got to Potter he said

"Know you ‘ re here Pipsqueak ! Don't need to even ask !"then went on. Harry dreaded looking backwards but did so anyway. Near the plump for Dragon Malfoy looked at him and mouthed the Christian Bible pipsqueek then sneered. Harry groaned, he ‘ d never hear the end of this.

When the register was finished the professor strode up to the battlefront of the social class. To the daze of all watching he slammed one fist back into the chalkboard. Christian Bible jumped off the open as if they had been jolted into being.

"Duelling !"The professor said and indeed this was the title of respect on the display board."Who here has cast something rough than jelly-legs at another magician ?"

A few workforce went up around the form, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to hold his hand as low as possible, but Padma took it and jerked it up.

"You there !"Markus pointed to Neville. Padma giggled."What have you used ?"

"Full Body Bind sir."Neville appeared to be wishing he had a hole to crawl into.

"good ! goodness whole spell ! conjuration, for those who don't know is Petrificus Totalus. And who did you use it on ?"

"McGonagall."

"Mc…McGonagall ?"A nervous titter of laughter ran around the classroom."Right, OK. Um… Anyone else ?"He pointed at Harry,"How bout you pipsqueak ?"

"Acerbus cuspis."

"The pain-spear spell."The teacher stopped moving and turned back towards Harry."A curse originating in the time of the inquisition, considered by many to be Dark thaumaturgy ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"Right OK."Michelson shook his head."Before we dredge up any to a greater extent Assault against Hogwarts teacher lets start on something else. Who here knows what a shield good luck charm is ?"Many of the hands went down ( though not of course, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll start there."

*

The social class let out an hour later. Many of the scholar had the after-effects of pocket-sized curse and hexes on them from when their shields hadn't been good enough or when their opponent had been too good. prof Albert Michelson seemed to think all of it extremely queer and laughed outrageously at every furiously-dancing, uncontrollably-coughing or unnaturally-warty student before cancelling their affliction and sending them on their way. Half way through the stratum he had picked Harry to demonstrate some more serious hexes to the category. Harry ‘ s shield charm wasn ‘ t nearly commodity enough and he ended up suffering for every magic spell that winged his way.

"I hate him ! I hate that muscle-head bastard !"Harry ranted as they walked to account of conjuration."He knows my name and he keeps calling me pipsqueak ! He singles me out ! He will pay for this ! Right ?"

The other marauder kept a condom space, giggling behind their hands.

"You know Harry, he seems to be a pretty good teacher."Hermione said. Harry rounded on her."I mean, some grownup wizards can't do shield charms and he managed to get half the class doing them in just one lesson."

"He keeps calling me forgetful !"Harry didn't understand why the others didn't get this"And didn ‘ t you hear him ? Mighty, Majestic, Mouldering… He loves himself !"

"Well…"Parvarti chipped in"He is cute."Harry's brass became bouldered and glum."And he… winked at me."

"You ‘ ll see."Harry turned and began back towards the history of legerdemain classroom"You ‘ ll all see ! After you meet him a few metre you ‘ ll agree with me about Markus Mary Michelson !"

*

But they didn't.

defense lawyers Against the Dark Arts quickly became the most looked forward to lesson by the entire school. Every few example Markus Michelson would enter a new fighting spell and work with them, pulling them with gag, belittlement and boost, to perfect the charm. From disarming and stunning through to cuticle and self-defense he taught everything with an indistinguishable laugh and identical chesty attitude. Harry remained glowering and silent in these lesson especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to help show a new spell. He had tried to get the marauders riled up to make for a antic on Professor Michelson but they had flatly refused. Harry had to content himself with dropping potion on a chemical group off Slytherins that gave them oozing boiling point. It had been quiet complex, whoever the pus hit when the furuncle exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from heavy detention that he heard someone outcry. Harry saw a outset year rush past him upstairs and followed him, towards the noise. A mathematical group of bookman were gathered on the third base floor. Harry pushed through them without a thought and stopped at the front to see a fearful sight. Painted on the rampart in what looked care line were the words…

Arise those of ancient lineage ! Cast out the impure from this house of our fathers ! Be true to your line of descent ! Destroy the opposition of the heritor ! This is the call to branch !

Harry glanced to his side, lined up succeeding to one another stood a group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and flint stood side of meat by side, each wearing identical expression of Glee.

On the floor in front of the missive crouched short winner Kingston, the kid who'd liked the tone of Ravenclaw, curled up in concern behind his shades.

Harry moved closer on instinct and put his digit to the boys neck.

"What are you doing ?"A voice behind him hissed but he ignored them.

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to move his fingerbreadth around for a best tone."No pulse. Get Madam Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the schoolmaster manner of walking to the sharpness of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the school hold went to work.

"Is he… dead ?"An older Ravenclaw at the edge of the circle asked and a whispering of breathless shock swept the crew.

"No."Professor Dumbledore said calmly"He appears to bear been petrified."

"Will he recover ?"Harry noticed that the Ravenclaw was a prefect, she had probably known superior.

"Yes missy Clearwater. I think so, in time."latent hostility seemed to go out of the group but the prefect pressed on.

"Professor…"She glanced up at the writing on the wall."master was a muggleborn, do you believe that there ‘ s any danger ?"

"I am for certain I can trust every student here to act in a way that does not dishonour the safe figure of this school."

"Yeah right."Harry thought and glanced back at Malfoy and the other Slytherins."Seems a war's been called. mass are already choosing sides."

*

The low attack happened just the future good morning. Hannah Abbot was found with a disordered arm at the seat of the steps leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. Her bag and Scripture strewn haphazardly at the top. She'd been coming up from the cellar early to get breakfast and been pushed back down.

Professor sprout took her to the hospital annex. But no one had seen what happened, not even Hannah, and no matter how much they asked the prof couldn't uncovering who had done it.

The side by side day a grouping of Slytherins cornered a world-class year in one of the upper corridors and began hexing him over and over. Only Flitwick happening past had stopped worse happening.

In a topic of workweek it was no longer prophylactic for a muggleborn or half-blood scholar to be out on their own. Madam Pomfrey was being worked of her pes by the stream of trauma coming into her care.

Then, one morning, Oliver Wood the Gryffindor Quidditch maitre d' was petrified in the prefects bathroom. The instructor had tried to retain a lid on it but the words that had been scrawled on the bulwark somehow got out.

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin yield and the chamber has been opened. develop up around his standard ! Spill the vitiate stock on the footing !

"It ‘ s getting worse."Harry said as they walked towards their next class."I mean just flavour !"He gestured out the window.

There was a powwow of pupil scurrying along the wall and slipping in a door. A moment later a grouping of Slytherins hurried into the courtyard with their with wands out.

"Harry no !"Harry was aiming his sceptre out the window but Hermione jerked his arm back."If we start fighting back things will escalate ! We have to let the teacher handle it."

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the Defence Against the shadow liberal arts classroom"Not on this scale."Her baby nodded silently. Her normally cheerful mood dulled.

"Padma ‘ s right Hermione."Ron shook his head."things are just getting worse and besides, we can ‘ t afford to lose any More Quidditch players."

"Is that all you care about !"

"I just meant…"

"Shut up."Harry snapped back at them irritably."Quidditch is about as a great deal use as you two bickering when things are going to hell all around us. We ‘ ve got to do something."

"But what ?"Padma said, shaking her head."This isn ‘ t like Quirrell Harry. There ‘ s no evil wiz behind it. Its half the school, trying the kill the other one-half and we don't know till too late which is which."

"With some we got a pretty effective idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a radical of Slytherins. The piranha curled around Hermione like a human shield as they passed and only spread back out after they had gone. A second later Harry's verge vibrated in his pocket."Damn it !"Harry motioned the others to tranquilize and the sound of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the nearest step.

*

"leave of absence him alone !"Ginny's own voice sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in straw man her injured champion and tried to swallow her fear.

"What ? Protecting your mudblood fellow traitor ?"Marcus Flint River stepped out of the gang of Slytherins surrounding her and Colin."Step aside for me. I ‘ d rather not spill wizard blood, even your mob, unless I have to."

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her baton out in movement of her. Hoping he was in ambit."Mico Harry."

"Your swain doesn ‘ t look up to much."Flint said stepping closer and eyeing the quivering Gryffindor."Maybe you want a real man ?"

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"Flint leant forward to hear."That supposed to be a hex ? Ha ! What ‘ s it do ?"Flint laughed and his cohorts around him started laughing too.

"It summons devil !"

As Marcus'head jerked up a bludgeoning hex struck him in the chest of drawers. He was thrown back and his ally drew their verge as the predator rushed them from the stairwell.

*

Harry was the first to admit that he probably wasn't destined to be a duellist. His first strike against the seventh year had been favorable and he now found himself shielding for his living in the midsection of a war-zone. Other students from other houses had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the crew and now the corridor was filled with flashing luminosity and battle cry of pain in the neck.

"You ‘ re stagnant thrower. Oh you ‘ re dead."Flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins curse smashed into the flat coat near his feet. A minute one smacked into the stone maven and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the storey and jabbed his wand at his assailant.

"Expelliarmus !"The spell struck Flint but his midst, sausage-like fingers were curled tightly around his sceptre.

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his shoulder. He threw his own back in answer and the snake stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his animal foot and shot a bludgeoning hex only to have it spring off a shield and scag him in the pectus. Tumbling backwards he landed on his backrest among the detritus. His verge skittered off along the floor. A shadow fell over him and a immense booted foot slammed onto his dresser, holding him down.

"hi Potter."flint pointed his wand at Harry's expression."Now I ‘ m gona have some fun."

A present moment later Flint was thrown off him as a sweeping wave of Light Within snap through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponents apart.

Harry's mitt darted out and grabbed his wand while he looked for the generator of the spell. His eye found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with several other teachers behind him.

"Is any student here injured or in motivation of the hospital fender ?"His voice was stony as he eyed the gather students. A few educatee raised their hands. Dumbledore nodded and turned to address to the instructor behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus A. A. Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his other. As Professor McGonagall walked past him he caught her center for a present moment, they were coldness, harsh and let down. When the hold out of the injured were gone the Headmaster turned back to the remaining students.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts student saw fit to turn this corridor into a battleground ?"He looked over the students and Harry realised that he and Flint were flop out in the middle, the two of them surrounded by emptiness. Somehow the ringleaders had been singled out."Why students who I thought I could trust to act in good trust instead acted like fools ?"

No one radius. No one wanted to pass attending to themselves.

"You will all return to your common rooms now. Tomorrow morning you will all come in to the bang-up hall where you will pass your Saturday in silence. You will return the day after that and for many weekends to come until I decide that the peace and silence of the schooling has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your disappointing behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the children."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's vocalism. Marcus flint smirked at him with his troll-like smiling and slinked off. Harry followed the schoolmaster in silence as he turned and walked off through the school. He stopped before a gargoyle on the second floor.

"Sherbet Lemon."The childish watchword seemed oddly out of kilter with the situation. They remained silent as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the Headmasters office.

Harry glanced around in wonder at the odd silver machines, many moving or making soft strait, filling tables around the edges of the federal agency. His eyes were drawn to the perch behind the desk where a fag out looking red bird sat. Even as Harry watched another of its feathering fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside pocket of his robes. He turned and sat behind the clayey desk. Saying zip, he regarded the student before him over steepled fingerbreadth.

Harry knew that with any other instructor this was the time to be serenity and bet guilty, but with Dumbledore he might actually be better off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry sassing. Dumbledore's eyes flicked to his."I heard the sounds of somebody being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could help. When we… I got there Marcus Flint and some other Slytherins had the number one twelvemonth surrounded."He couldn't tell what result this was having on the Headmaster. His facial expression was inscrutable."I fired a turn to make them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many other students would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the first hex ?"

"They had been beating up Colin Creevey before we got there."Harry felt too guilty to lie."But I threw the first of all combat magical spell yes."

"Several educatee are injured Harry."Gods teeth the ragged bird was eyeballing him as well."And there was some structural damage to the schooling. several picture were damaged and statues broken."

"I was just trying to help sir. I didn't want any of that."

"And with this standard pressure of fear already around the school you have given everyone another understanding to hate each other."Harry felt very small in movement of the continued stare."Worse, you have escalated this job with your actions. next metre mass will be even faster to draw baton in anger. succeeding fourth dimension the jinx will be big and people could be seriously injured Harry, do you empathize that ?"

"Yes sir."Harry thinking of Marcus Flint's smirk. future metre they wouldn't wait to taunt people.

"Today you chose to agitate hatred with anger and violence. That way will always breed further hatred do you understand that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not recur this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the office. All the way to the door he could feel the old adult male eyes on his back.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor common room. By chance the route took him back past the battleground. Some endeavour had been made to clean up but the place still felt damaged. Great glob were missing from the stone and the cave in painting had all been taken down. The passing was bare. Harry saw apparent motion at the other end and tensed for a 2d, then relaxed as he saw red whisker and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little young woman moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a niggling way down from him."I ‘ m so meritless I got you into trouble. I shouldn ‘ t have micod for you. Hermione said you could be expelled."

"If I was expelled every time Hermione said I would be I ‘ d be some sort o'world record."Harry walked up to his fresh recruit and ruffled her hair."And I taught you that call exactly so you would call me if you were ever in trouble. All this…"Harry waved his hand at the damage and rock his head."Not your flaw. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the common room."

"I was… waiting… for you."Ginny glanced to the leftfield and bit her lip.

"Remind me to instruct you to lie convincingly Ginny."Harry looked into her optic. There was a surprising amount of fear there."Why don't you want to tell me ? You don't have to you know."

"lost something."Ginny's voice became modest with each tidings she said."A Diary. mustiness have fallen out in the fight."

"Your diary ‘ s missing ?"Harry shook his principal."Did you publish anything bad in there ?"

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking someone's diary is all very marauder of you but…"

"I found it in my books before I even got here. Thought maybe it got left there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The front said it was Tom Marvolo Riddle ‘ s."Ginny was acting almost like when he'd first met her.

"And the bit you ‘ re not telling me is…"He hated doing this but she was obviously hiding something.

"It was… special."Ginny seemed to quail into the ground a lilliputian."It spoke to me."

"spoke ? It could mouth ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the flooring and hugged her peg up to her dresser."It was blank but it wrote back. He was so squeamish. I had person to spill to finally."

"someone to talk to ?"Harry scratched his head. What did she mean ?"You have six sidekick don't you ?"

"I can't talk to them."Ginny began to sob a little."They don't understand. They laugh at me. Tom understood. And now he ‘ s gone. What if someone else picks him up ? What if he tells them the stuff I wrote ?"Ginny looked up take aback and pock and suddenly broke down into tears. Harry just stood there, he didn't know what the Scheol to do.

"I mess everything up."Ginny gulped between dickhead."I lost Tom and everyone ‘ s going to read him ! I messed up the sorting ! I started a battle and almost got you expelled !"

"Ginny listen to me."Harry tried grabbing her shoulder but she wouldn't look at him. With his other hand he cupped her face and brought it up so he could see her eyes."Tom sounds like a expert friend, I ‘ m indisputable you can confide him to keep your secrets. I mean, other hoi polloi must have had the journal before you and Tom never told you any of their enigma right ?"

merlin's beard, he didn't know what he was doing. What did he have it off about comforting people ?

"And as for this."He pointed around the corridor."All this we can fix. We can fix everything, don't worry. I ‘ ll help you."He was babbling, as if she'd care about the corridor.

"And…"Ginny had stopped crying at to the lowest degree."You don't detest me ?"Harry shook his head.

"Only when you cry. Gryffindors don't cry."He regretted it as soon as he said it, that wasn't what she needed to learn. As he had often done before Harry asked himself where Hermione was when he needed her. She would birth known what to say. He smudged a arm against Ginny's nerve to get rid of the bout. At least he could do that right.

"Come on. Lashkar-e-Toiba get back to the common room."He stood up and held out a manus to her."And as for having a Friend to sing to…"He pulled her into a approximate hug then let her go."… what am I a stranger ?"

"Harry."Ginny was looking up at him now."Why couldn't I have had you as a brother instead of Ron ?"

"Because I ‘ m not ginger and my skin can take a tan. Why'd you ask ?"But Ginny didn't answer him.

"She's probably distraught."Harry thought, putting an arm over her shoulder and walking with her towards Gryffindor tower."I ‘ m no good at this sort of thing."